When they’re not looking to the future for bold new footwear concepts, sneaker brands have a habit of trawling the past for inspiration. Typically, this results in the resurgence of modest, easy-to-wear styles from a simpler time in shoe design. Think the Stan Smith or the Reebok Classic.

More recently, however, maximalism has taken over. Now this trend-recycling approach tends to mean reviving some fluorescent, elephantine monstrosity from the peak of 1990s sportswear exuberance and slapping it with Gen Z-friendly name. Which is exactly why the release of the Adidas Continental in 2018 came as such a breath of fresh air.

Rebranded as the ‘Continental 80’, this was a plain, unassuming tennis shoe that went against every trend in contemporary sneaker design. And yet there it was, flying off shelves quicker than you could say ‘Balenciaga Triple S’.

It was a masterclass in stylish subtlety and retro restraint, but what exactly made the Continental 80 one of the most popular shoes in recent memory? And where did it come from anyway?

History Of The Adidas Continental 80

The Adidas Continental first hit shelves in the late 1980s – a decade upheld by Three Stripes fanatics as the greatest in the brand’s history. It was crisp, clean and casual – its pristine white uppers punctuated only by a small branded tab and a thin red stripe to the side of each shoe.

Looks-wise, it borrowed more than a little from aerobic footwear staples of the time. Most notably, the shoes of now Adidas-owned, British sportswear brand Reebok. Still, at its core, the Continental was simply an updated version of some of Adidas’ earlier tennis shoes. It offered the same minimalist style, but with updated flexibility and improved performance on the court.

Despite all of this, it failed to make much of a splash when it first landed. That’s until it was re-released as part of the brand’s nostalgia laden ‘Yung Series’ in 2018, to unprecedented success.