How the Adidas Gazelle Sneaker Made The Lyst Index Hottest Product List
Nikki Chwatt
Style Commerce Editor for Footwear News and WWD
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New sneaker releases hit the market daily, so it’s uncommon for a sneaker style’s popularity to outlast the ever accelerating trend cycle to become a timeless footwear staple. But when a classic shoe, one that’s been around for several decades, has a massive resurgence in popularity that surpasses the new kicks of the moment, it’s a true rarity. The Adidas Gazelle shoe, much like Stan Smiths several years ago, is the one of the hottest shoes of the moment. With today’s release of the Lyst Index Q1 2023 report, it’s clear that the retro performance shoe is swiftly dominating the sneaker market for 2023 with no sign of slowdown.
Each quarter the fashion tech company and shopping app Lyst analyses web searches, product views and sales, and social media data to compile a ranking of the most buzzed-about brands and products. Still, the question is: How did the Adidas Gazelle Sneaker make The Lyst Index’s Hottest Product List?
It all started in 1966, when a star, the Adidas Gazelle, was born. Like many of the best Adidas shoes, the Gazelle was a simple, understated, revolutionary silhouette designed for the soccer field. However, the original Gazelle was Adidas’ first suede performance shoe that pushed the envelope for sneaker designs since it swapped simple leather fabrics for vibrant suedes — like red and blue — with the support of gum soles. Also, like the Adidas Superstar and the Adidas Samba sneaker, the Gazelle transitioned over to time from a performance shoe to an iconic lifestyle sneaker, reemerging every couple of decades with pockets of popularity among specific generations of consumers.
Yes, the Gazelle is a total classic, but there’s a fresh appreciation for the low-top trainer, which can be attributed to a few things. First, the 2022 Adidas x Gucci sneaker collaboration was embraced by stylish celebrities like Olivia Wilde, Brad Pitt, and Harry Styles. And after years of chunky sneakers (also known as dad shoes) dominating the sneaker market, the trend pendulum naturally began to swing towards sleek and timeless footwear, which pairs perfectly with the quiet luxury trend. Plus, with fashion trends permeating through TikTok, Gen Z’s trend incubator of choice, Instagram, and various second-hand and vintage resellers, it makes sense that the nostalgic Gazelle has become an institution of casual dress-down style in 2023.
Labeled as the tenth hottest product and second hottest shoe for the first quarter of 2023 among style mavens, the hashtag for Adidas Gazelle has nearly 78 million views on TikTok, while Google Trends reports searches for Gazelles have spiked by 170% over the last 3.5 months.
Ready to get your own Gazelles? Keep scrolling to get your hands on the hottest sneaker style for 2023 thus far.
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