It has been said in rhyme that Hollis’s Run DMC has many Adidas shoes. One of them — not sure if it was Reverend Run, DMC, or Jam Master Jay — had fifty pair.

These sneakers were sorted by function. Blue + Black: to chill. Yellow + green: getting ill. Special heels: playing ball. Black + White or White + black stripes: rocking the mic. Undetermined: stomping out pimps with diamond rings. What they are not used for: selling shoes.

Oh, Run DMC… we believed you.

“My Adidas” was written as a love letter to street culture, keying in specifically to the footwear preferred by b-boys. The song was also written as a retaliation to a piece called “Felon Sneakers” by Dr. Deas.  I was going to make a joke that I couldn’t find anything on Dr. Deas unless he was a dentist or gastroenterologist… but it turns out that according to Complex.com he really was a doctor by the name of Gerald Deas. Say what you will about his lyricism… he at least has a medical degree… which makes him more worthy of the title than, say, Dr. Dre. 

“Felon Sneakers” was a warning that shoes and felonies were inextricably linked.  “We’re gonna tell you about a few felony cases/It started with the brothers wearing fat shoe laces” starts the song. From there it’s a slippery slope to thievery, sexual crimes, and jail.

“My Adidas” was written in response as a “What’s wrong with the way I dress?” type of song. Jail? Run DMC says incredulously. My Adidas were on stage with me at Live Aid! And the poor got paid! And there are other perks: travel to foreign lands, going to Hollywood, etc.

Then one day one of the group’s co-managers invited some Adidas executives to the concert. Soon they inked a $1 million endorsement deal —- a first for a hip-hop group. Run DMC got some sweet cash (and I’m assuming a life-time’s worth of Adidas gear). Adidas got overnight street cred. The company previously associated with stuffy upper-class Europeans was now being worn by hip-hop fans.

The deal paved the way for endorsements to come. A sort of sneaker war developed, with different sneaker companies signing endorsement deals with different hip-hip artists. Nike, Troop, and Puma soon joined the fray. “My Adidas” would also open the doors for numerous non-shoe hip-hop endorsements and lyrical name drops.

For the life of me, though, I have no idea how you’re supposed to walk down the street and bop the beat in Adidas Superstars with no laces. Wouldn’t they fall off? Wouldn’t even busted up Ballys be better for boppin’? Answer me, Reverend Run!