Past, Present, Future: adidas Adistar Control 5

Adolf "Adi" Dassler had one simple goal when he and his brother founded a small-scale shoe-making company in 1919: make proper sports footwear. By 1949, the younger Dassler had founded adidas in his hometown of Herzogenaurach, Germany. Adi's mission was still the same, but he was now motivated to help the world's most-promising athletes reach personal bests and set new standards across disciplines.

In 1976, the founder developed the Adistar 2000, a track & field shoe that enabled over 20 different configurations thanks to interchangeable stars and cones underneath the forefoot. Dassler had previously found success with a pair of football boots donning a similar customization system, so the technology was proven. Numerous gold medals at the '76 Summer Olympics in Montreal served as further evidence.

Over the years, modifiable footwear has come and gone, but what has passed the test of time has been the Adistar franchise as a whole. The line was established with the goal of serving as the pinnacle expression of sport—specifically running—footwear, and it's done just this over the last 49 years. Throughout the 2000s, the range saw some of its most beloved releases—including 2003's Adistar Cushion 3 and 2008's Adistar Control 5.

Both silhouettes recently returned to the spotlight thanks to their connection to the VIRGINIA Adistar Jellyfish, the latest addition to Pharrell Williams' expansive collaborative roster with the Three Stripes. The latter retro style, however, is gearing up to be one of the brand's biggest bets for the remainder of the year and all-throughout 2026.

Now housed under the adidas Originals banner, the Adistar Control 5 is at odds with the German company's low-profile designs that've gotten popular over the last few years. As was the case with so many running sneakers of the aughts, the fifth Control series proposal comprised of the era's best elements—including forefoot AdiPRENE®+ cushioning, Ground Control System™, Foremotion technology, 3D TORSION® SYSTEM, and AdiWEAR outsoles. Designs within the Adizero Running line trump what was found in the Adistar Control 5 for modern performance needs, but the 17-year-old setup is nothing to scoff at in today's standards.

Nevertheless, the retro style has been fully repositioned as a fashionable product for lifestyle use.

Over the last several months, the chunky model has surfaced in numerous e-commerce shots. Most styles pictured are faithful reissues of pairs that formed the Adistar Control 5's original lineup. The last two weeks have seen the silhouette begin to roll out across different adidas markets, beginning out East and making its way West to the Americas.

Emily Oberg's Sporty & Rich gave the world a glimpse of what's expected to come for the Adistar Control 5, but a recent invite to the adidas World Headquarters in Herzogenaurach showed us exactly how massive the next 18 months will be for the design.

James Lui, Design Director, Originals Footwear (Color & Materials), and Gaétan Saint-André, Global Category Director, Originals Footwear, for the Three Stripes previewed over a dozen styles of the Adistar Control 5 slated to arrive by the start of 2027.

Experimental color and material applications were amongst the group, slightly distancing the retro runner from its performance-first origins in order to appeal to bolder audiences. The Adistar MLD (read: Mold) was also showcased, presenting the model's DNA in a future-foward look spearheaded by single-piece, no-seam overlays across the upper. Similarly, the Adistar Mary Jane merges familiar elements with new touches, creating a refreshing take on heritage. The design features non-traditional lacing and a build similar to the Taqwa Bint Ali x adidas Originals project from January 2025.

There's no telling exactly what success the Adistar Control 5 reissue will have. It's unlikely the chunky style will explode to the same extent as the adidas Samba did over the past three years, but less-expected things have. What's certain, however, is that it, combined with the hyper of Pharrell's Jellyfish and accessibility of the similar adidas Adistar XLG 2.0, will help the Adistar Control 5's aesthetic fit into the Three Stripes' larger product play moving forward.

Keep an eye on adidas.com for all releases of the $120 retro.

For more from the German sportswear juggernaut, check out the adidas FIFA World Cup™ Home Jerseys Collection.