50 years ago, adidas kickstarted a historic partnership with professional tennis player Stan Smith on the trefoil’s popular all-leather tennis shoe design, a first of its kind. The original model was endorsed by French player Robert Haillet, but when he retired, the crown was eventually passed onto 6 feet 4 inches (that’s 193cm!) Stan Smith who just won the US Open in 1971.

With Stan Smith came a transformation on the model: the athlete’s face was printed on the tongue and his name was emblazoned on the heel. These modifications live on to this day, and have been spotted on the likes of trendsetters like Kanye West, Pharrell Williams and even Madonna. To celebrate the 50 years of this iconic shoe, adidas has released a special edition Stan Smith “Stanniversary”.

Lovers of Stan Smith would often state that this shoe has perfected timeless simplicity — and this Stanniversary sneaker seeks to accentuate that with a few retro accents. An off-white upper features a single yellow streak down a blush suede heel. This slight addition makes the shoe look slightly worn.

The tongue features a synthetic material, a unique choice compared to its previous iterations, in a blush pink shade. Such a feature makes the tongue look exposed in contrast to the white leather. This time, Stan Smith’s portrait is done up in a stark burgundy color.  Rounding off this shoe is a date marked on the inside of the sneaker, which reads “Jun, 06, 1972” — a nod to Stan Smith’s 1972 Wimbledon win. The vintage color overhaul of this Stan Smith makes sense given the 50th anniversary festivities.

As with the current version of Stan Smiths, this edition consists of a PRIMEGREEN uppers and recycled rubber soles as part of the brand’s overall push for their END PLASTIC WASTE initiative. This adidas Stan Smith Stanniversary is already available on adidas’ website and retails for US$100.

ICYMI, check out this hybrid New Balance 1500 in Grey/Navy.