adidas vs adidas Originals: What's the Difference?
If you've shopped adidas for any length of time, you've seen two names: plain adidas and adidas Originals. They're the same company, but they point at two very different things — and knowing which is which makes it much easier to shop. Here's the short version, plus where each line lives in our store.
One brand, two badges
adidas was founded in Germany in 1949 by Adi Dassler, and for most of its history the three stripes meant performance: football boots, running shoes, training gear. In 2001 the company carved out adidas Originals as a dedicated heritage and lifestyle line, giving it its own logo — the Trefoil — to separate "street" from "sport." So the easiest tell is the logo. The three angled bars (the "Badge of Sport") signal the performance side; the three-leaf Trefoil signals Originals.
adidas (performance): built to move
The main adidas line is about technology and training. Think running shoes with modern foams and racing plates, basketball, and everyday athletic shoes engineered for cushioning and support rather than retro looks. On our shelves that's the running and athletic side — browse the broad adidas collection or the focused men's running shoes and Ultraboost collection if performance is what you're after. These are the pairs you buy for what they do, not just how they look.
adidas Originals (lifestyle): built to last in style
Originals is the heritage engine — the terrace and court classics that never went away. The Samba (an indoor soccer trainer from the late 1940s), the Handball Spezial (a 1979 indoor handball shoe), the Gazelle Indoor, and the Superstar all live here. These are lifestyle shoes: low profiles, gum soles, suede and leather uppers, and decades of street credibility. The full lineup sits in our adidas Originals collection.
Which should you buy?
Start with the job. If you want a shoe to run, train, or play in, look at the performance line for the foam, fit, and support. If you want a shoe to wear with jeans every day — something timeless that pairs with everything — Originals is the answer. Many people own both: an Ultraboost for movement and a Samba or Spezial for everything else.
A quick word on fit
The Originals terrace models don't all fit the same. The Samba runs slightly long and narrow, so a lot of people size down a half size. The Handball Spezial is the roomiest of the group and a strong pick for wider feet. The Superstar has its own quirks too. We've written dedicated guides worth reading before you buy: the Handball Spezial sizing guide and the Superstar II size guide.
How adidas compares to other labels we carry
adidas's terrace-heritage approach sits next to a few other strong sneaker stories on our shelves. For cushioned, width-friendly running and clean retro runners, see our New Balance spotlight; for the deepest bench of icons from Air Force 1s to Dunks, see our Nike spotlight.
Authentic, verified, and shipped from Portland
Whichever side you shop, every adidas pair we sell is authentic, checked in-house, and shipped from our warehouse in Portland, Oregon under our Verified & Shipped promise. Lineups rotate constantly, so use the collection links above for what's live right now.
— Anthony from West Coast Deals