Thin-soled, retro sneakers have been some of adidas’ most successful models of late and it has a new pair joining the pack, the adidas Taekwondo.

Taken directly from the German sportswear giant’s archives, the shoe is an early '00s model repurposed from taekwondo for casual use. 

Anyone who has participated in the sport will recognize this shoe as a standard taekwondo sneaker decorated with adidas’ famous three stripes. 

There are no obvious differences between this low-profile, slip-on model and the taekwondo shoes originally released by adidas in the early naughts, however, what has changed in that time is how thinly-shaped sneakers of this ilk are perceived.

With the adidas Samba becoming one of the most popular sneakers in recent years, it spearheaded a trend for flat-soled sneakers. Suddenly, models like the Miu Miu x New Balance 530 or the Nike Astro Grabber have been popping up and even becoming sneaker of the year contenders. 

And adidas has also been riding the flat-soled wave it has created, putting extra focus on slimline models such as the SL 72 and Gazelle. However, the adidas Taekwondo is its most radically slender sneaker yet. 

The flat-stoled shape seems to be an instant hit, popping up in the most prestigious sneaker-selling boutiques in Europe such as The Broken Arm, Asphalt Gold, and NAKED Copenhagen — retailing for around $120. 

This isn’t the first time a brand has tried to make taekwondo shoes stylish. In 2020, Balenciaga tried a similar trick with its Zen Sneaker which Twitter was quick to poke fun at. 

But a lot can change in fashion in four years and the early reaction to this taekwondo shoe (which looks almost identical to that from Balenciaga) is already a much more positive one.