There are leaders and there are followers. In the ultra-obsessive spectrum that is sneaker culture, fans of footwear, especially fans of basketball shoes, often associate signature shoes with expressing their identity and fandom via the namesake model of their favorite player. On the other hand, ‘team shoes’ are equated more with fitting in, regardless of their performance prominence. Back in 1979, adidas broke the mold before it even existed with the release of the Top Ten Hi. Not named after a particular player nor designed to move units in school colors, the luxury composition and straight-forward title of the shoe represented an echelon of excellence rather than a camaraderie concept or sole spokesperson.
Worn by the likes of Doug Collins, Marques Johnson, Kermit Washington, Adrian Dantley, Bob Lanier, Bobby Jones, Billy Knight, Sidney Wicks, Mitch Kupchak, and Kevin Grevey, all of whom were All-Stars or champions in their own right, the Top Ten represented a wide but curated range of talent across the American basketball landscape. ABA/NBA legend Rick Barry was called in to help produce the project, getting inventor credit in the ads and wearing it while wrapping up his Hall of Fame career. Thanks to its design and endorsement, the model also wore well on the hardwood well into the next decade.
Registering as a calling card on the court as well as a status symbol off of it, the Top Ten Hi remained relevant well beyond its launch year, seeing release and rotation in every era to follow. In 2014, its dual-threat nostalgia has been tapped by the likes of DJ Clark Kent, Stalley and Danny Brown. Occupying the hip-hop space and offering a lineup with respect to range much like the OG hoops roster, each artist has their own relationship with the Top Ten.
New York native and veteran DJ/Producer Clark Kent remembers the impact the Top Ten had when it first launched. “The Top Ten is the ultimate basketball shoe. The thing about these shoes is that they were actually cool looking,” says Kent, also citing that at the time they were ‘almost impossible’ for the average kid to afford.
Detroit-bred MC Danny Brown recalls the Top Ten being a staple in his city even in its early retro lore. “Everybody had the shoes,” Brown recalls. “I remember being in high school and the white-on-white high tops came out. I wanted a pair so bad. I had a job washing pots in a buffet and I remember I pulled overtime to get them, but because it was such a popular shoe by the time I had enough money to get them they were sold out. So, I had to settle for a pair of the low top white and blacks.”
For Stalley, off-court appeal reigns supreme when it comes to the Top Ten, but the basketball nostalgia still sells it. “Rick Barry, one of the greatest to play the game, designed the shoe for guys like Adrian Dantley, Doug Collins, and Kermit Washington,” notes the MMG MC. “Rick Barry showed that being a pioneer was about full mastery of every technical aspect of his craft. That’s important.”
While the adidas Top Ten Hi has served as a fixture in sport and style since its 1979 introduction, the original offering took a break in 2013. Back to basics, the adidas Top Ten has returned to retail today in retro fashion. The Top Ten collection is available now at adidas.
