Stan Smith is more than a shoe.
Though the Adidas Stan Smith style won the 2014 Footwear News Achievement Award for “Shoe of the Year,” former tennis pro Smith — the inspiration for the 1972 shoe launch after he won major titles at the 1968 U.S. Open and 1970 Australian Open — has earned a cult following of his own.
Smith has made several promotional appearances for the re-launched sneaker style, including a shoe-signing appearance at Colette. “I went behind the cash register and actually took the money and credit cards for a few people,” laughed Smith. The exclusive collaborations and limited-edition pairs of the tennis sneaker have continuously sold out, proving that the Stan Smith effect has grown well beyond footwear.
In an exclusive chat, FN discovered eight things you didn’t know about Stan Smith:
Watch on FN
Favorite food: “The Thanksgiving turkey meal.”
Most-worn pair of shoes: “The custom Adidas shoe I designed. It’s a black suede Stan Smith with a maroon back. That’s been my favorite pair of shoes in the past five years. I just designed another pair of black [Stan Smiths], too — they have tennis-ball fuzz in the back.”
Most recent vacation: “I just went to Croatia. It’s a really special place.”
Hidden talent: “I grew up playing the piano. In the next few years, I want to get back to it.”
Guilty pleasure: “Chocolate Hostess CupCakes.”
Favorite song: “I love the Beach Boys. My daughter has now become a Beach Boys fan, too. ‘California Girls’ is the song that sticks with me — I’m a California guy.”
Hidden hobby: “We just did a boating-and-cycling vacation this past week, so I’d like to do that again.”
Favorite sport to watch on TV: “Basketball, or golf. Basketball was my first love, and I play a bit of golf now, so I can appreciate what those guys go through.”
