Paul Smith has teamed up with Adidas and the English soccer team Manchester United on a limited-edition Stan Smith sneaker.
The collaboration is a nod to the long-standing partnership between Manchester United and Paul Smith, who serves as the club’s official tailoring partner and outfits the team for match days.
But it’s not just the soccer team with which the designer has a history. The Stan Smith shoe is also special to him since it is part of his personal wardrobe and when the first Paul Smith suit went on display at the V&A Museum in London, it was styled with a pair of classic Stan Smiths. And the two Smiths, who are unrelated, actually met in person when the tennis star stopped by the Paul Smith headquarters in London.
Related Stories
While the sneaker design maintains the integrity of the original tennis silhouette from 1965, it is updated with Paul Smith’s signature design aesthetic. It includes line drawings of Stan Smith and Paul Smith on the right and left tongues, respectively, and their names on the uppers. In addition, Manchester United’s Red Devil logo was added to the heel tab and the team’s red, white and gray striped colorway is featured on the insole, underside of the tongue and lace-ends.
You May Also Like
The run is limited to 1,946 pairs worldwide, a number chosen since it is the birth year shared by both Stan Smith and the designer.
They retail for $134 and are available for sale on the Paul Smith and Manchester United websites.