Launched in 1969, the Adidas Superstar, otherwise known as the “shell toe,” would quickly catch the eye of basketball athletes like legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar thanks to the sneaker’s toe protection, non-marking sole, and leather upper, which provided more support than the usual canvas shoes on the market at the time.

Dominating on-court, it wouldn’t take long for shell toes to become a part of street fashion, reaching legendary sneaker status thanks in large part to the adoption and shout out from seminal hip-hop group Run-DMC.