Adidas SL 72 is a lightweight running shoe released by

Adidas Adidas AG (; stylized in all lowercase since 1949) is a German athletic apparel and footwear corporation headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany. It is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe, and the second largest in the ...

in 1972. It was the first shoe to feature the

trefoil A trefoil () is a graphic form composed of the outline of three overlapping rings, used in architecture, Pagan and Christian symbolism, among other areas. The term is also applied to other symbols with a threefold shape. A similar shape with f ...

logo.

Overview

Adidas released the SL 72 as a lightweight alternative to its other running shoes. The "SL" in the name stands for "Super Light" and the "72" for the year it was released in. The shoe was designed to appeal to a casual runner and capitalize on the

running boom of the 1970s The running boom of the 1970s occurred in high- and middle-income countries. It was particularly pronounced in the United States and occurred in other countries including the United Kingdom and other European countries, Australia and New Zealand. ...

. The shoe is made up of a nylon upper to make it less heavy with suede overlays at the toe, heel, and eyelets of the shoe. The EVA midsole has a rubber toe protector to prevent abrasions as well. The shoe was released during the

1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and officially branded as Munich 1972 (; ), were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. It was the ...

Models

SL 72 OG

The original version of the shoe in the same design.

SL 72 RS

The SL 72 RS features the same design on the upper but has a slightly chunkier sole underneath. The "RS" in the name stands for "reshaped". It was released at the beginning of 2024

SL 72 RTN

This model features a chunkier, rugged sole that is meant for outdoor use. It was released in the summer of 2024.

SL Loop Runner

A modern running shoe that takes design elements from the original "SL 72". It was released in 2014 and meant to be a modern interpretation of the original shoe.

References

{{Adidas Adidas Sports footwear Products introduced in 1972 1970s fashion 1980s fashion 1990s fashion 2000s fashion 2010s fashion 2020s fashion