Adidas Originals returns to its Superstar roots with Samuel L Jackson

The adidas OriginalsSuperstar is one of those rare things in fashion that has worn many faces without losing its own. Born on basketball courts in 1969, adopted by hip hop in the 1980s, and repeatedly reinterpreted by generations that insist it still feels new, the shell-toe sneaker has transformed from performance gear into cultural shorthand and back again. 

Fast forward to 2026, and adidas Originals has unveiled its latest campaign titled The Next Chapter of The Original Icon: Superstar. The spring campaign reprises both the shoe and its resident raconteur, Samuel L. Jackson, who serves as a guide in a surreal search for “his Superstars” within a place he calls Hotel Superstar.

This is the second edition of The Original Icon platform, following an earlier iteration unveiled in 2025. That first campaign also featured Jackson’s distinctive voice and a cinematic structure divided into parts called “Pyramids” and “Clocks”, where he drew whimsical parallels between ancient monuments and the sneaker’s cultural longevity.

It positioned the Superstar as a marker of timeless style and storytelling and set the tone for what adidas Originals calls its global platform.

The new chapter leans further into that blend of theatre and metaphor. Jackson, no stranger to cultural permanence himself thanks to roles ranging from Star Wars to the Marvel universe, wanders through endless corridors where time seems optional, bumping into a cohort of contemporary figures who each carry their own brand of influence.

These include global music star Jennie, style figure Kendall Jenner, football prodigy Lamine Yamal, rapper Baby Keem, NBA standout James Harden, skateboarding name Tyshawn Jones, and British pop voice Olivia Dean. Each, in their own way, embodies aspects of the sneaker’s ongoing story of influence.

There is a playful self-awareness to the staging. Much like the Superstar itself, which has journeyed from hardwood to city streets without ever losing its shape, Jackson’s quest feels less like a treasure hunt and more like a commentary on legacy and relevance.

He has spoken elsewhere about owning more than a hundred pairs of adidas, a fact that suggests his affinity for the Three Stripes is personal as well as professional.

Visually, the campaign builds on both continuity and contrast. The classic black-and-white tones that defined the original silhouette remain central, now energised with bursts of bold red across apparel that play with texture and tailoring.

Tracksuits with looser fits, denim shorts and contemporary layering sit alongside reinterpretations of the legendary track jacket, nodding to the sneaker’s dual life in sport and streetwear.