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Adidas SL 72
ADIDAS SL 72, THE MUNICH GAMES SHOE RETURNS WITH THE LOW PROFILE
“SUPER LIGHT ”: A RUNNING SHOE FOR THE 1972 OLYMPIC GAMES
The name is a specification. SL for Super Light, 72 for the year: adidas draws the SL 72 for the Munich Olympic Games, played in home, and wants the lightest training shoe in its catalog. The recipe consists of two materials: an upper in nylon, lighter than the leather of the 60s, reinforced with inserts in suede at the toe and heel, and a rubber sole with short lugs for both the track and the road. The three bands are serrated, placed in contrast. It came out at the time when adidas adopted the trefoil as its emblem, and carried its aesthetic — bold colors, straight lines, Olympic optimism.
The SL 72 then left the track for the street, worn in the 70s by Sunday racers and in the 90s by British terraces. It never disappeared from the Originals catalog, but it spent twenty years in the shadow of the Stan Smith and the Superstar.
2024: THE SL 72 BENEFITS FROM THE RETURN OF THE LOW PROFILE
The return of the Samba has reopened the archives d'adidas, and the SL 72 was one of the first to benefit from it. Its slim silhouette, flat sole and bright colors — blue and yellow, green and white, red and black — were exactly what fashion was looking for after ten years of thick soles. It returned in SL 72 OG, faithful to the original, and in SL 72 RS, with a slightly thicker sole and modernized comfort. In 2025, it was one of the most popular sneakers in Europe with Samba, , Gazelle and Taekwondo.
SL 72, SAMBA, GAZELLE, SPEZIAL : WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?
All four share the same family — basses, retro, three stripes — but not the same origin. The Samba and the Gazelle are indoor shoes, in leather or suede, with a rubber sole; the Spezial comes from handball. The SL 72 is the only running : lighter, more flexible, in nylon, with a sole that grips outside. It is the sportiest of the four, and the most colorful.
HOW TO SIZE AND HOW TO WEAR THE SL 72
It runs slightly small, like most adidas retros: half a size larger. It can be worn with what goes with fine shoes – straight or slightly flared pants, cuffed jeans, short shorts in summer – and its colors complement each other with plain clothing. For another take on the low profile, the New Balance 204L does the same thing in suede, with an even thinner sole.
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