The Dassler: Number 37- March 2025. Ali's tasseled adidas boots, the story of the adidas Rom-the 1970's, Superstar 35th anniversary retro review-part 2 & all the new releases.
Welcome to The Dassler, Thirty-Seventh edition. Read on for enough three stripe goodness to satisfy the most obsessive adidas fanatic.
Welcome to our Third edition of The Dassler in 2025-number 37, the monthly magazine especially written for (and by) adidas lovers.
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Impossible is Nothing.
But did you know that adidas’ fanous slogan from the 2004 ad campaign was actually inspired by the above quote by Muhammed Ali.
adidas-always learning!
The Dassler usually comes out on the Third Saturday of each Month-to take your mind off spending all your money on adidas and give you something to do while waiting for the end of the months pay day!
In this edition in our ‘Retro shoe of the month’ we share the City Series OG -the adidas Rom-Part 3-the 1970’s. Woody retro reviews the Superstar 35th Anniverary release back in 2005, Craig shares another of his adidas adventures this time adidas EQT. We also have another adidas history lesson-this time we explore why Muhhamed Ali wore tasseled adidas boots and Craig again reviews the latest adidas releases.
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If this is your first visit then we’d highly recommend you run over to the very beginning (obvs wearing a pair of OG colourway adidas ZX600’s)to our earlier issues here.
This is a monthly newsletter, that will contain ultra rare deadstock trainers, new adidas releases & brand exclusive information from 3 stripe social media giant Craig (@adifamily_ *X & Insta*), adidas oddments & apparel reminiscences written by Woody (@dadidassler *X* & Insta) plus loads of articles from special guest writers and we have some absolute adidas legends as guest writers lined up!
Why did Muhammed Ali wear Tasseled adidas boots?
Designing a pair of boxing boots might seem simple: a thin sole to keep you grounded and premium leather for a perfect fit. From the outset, adidas carved out a niche among specialised boxing brands, eventually becoming the trusted name for the greatest boxer of all time, Muhammad Ali.
When he was called Cassius Clay and representing USA at the 1960 Olympics in Rome he wore white and red striped adidas boots. He won a boxing Gold medal.
I came back to Louisville after the Olympics with my shiny gold medal. Went into a luncheonette where black folks couldn't eat. Thought I'd put them on the spot. I sat down and asked for a meal. The Olympic champion wearing his gold medal. They said, "We don't serve niggers here." I said, "That's okay, I don't eat 'em." But they put me out in the street. So I went down to the river, the Ohio River, and threw my gold medal in it.
Ali’s autobiography 1975
Ali wore mainly plain stripeless adidas boxing boots for the next 7 years. When Ali was stripped of his title in 1967 for refusing to join the army to fight in Vietnam, he sent his boots as a gift to Adi Dassler, who had designed them specifically for him.
In Ali’s 1970 return to boxing he again wore his white and red adidas boots, Ali fought against German boxer Karl Mildenberger and, after his return to the ring, in an exhibition match against George Hill in Atlanta. He trained with the iconic three stripes but did not wear them for his next official fight against Jerry Quarry following the lifting of his suspension. Just hours before his next match against Oscar Bonavena, Ali’s camp announced that he was considering leaving adidas.
Horst Dassler, Adi Dassler’s son, sought to change Ali’s mind, with a special gift. He sent John Bragg, a trusted adidas employee who worked with U.S. athletes, to New York. Ali often likened his movements in the ring to dance steps and spoke of how dancers’ costumes amplified their motions—tassels and fringes that floated, enhancing every move.
Bragg and Horst aimed to make Ali’s boots an extension of his dance-like rhythm. Hours before the fight, they sourced satin tassels and found a group of shoemakers specializing in theatrical footwear for opera, ballet, and stage performances. The shoemakers, unfazed by the unusual request, crafted boxing boots with tassels just in time. This attention to detail and actually listening to the athlete pursuaded Ali to stick with adidas. Although some more cynical observers thought this to be another Don King (Ali’s Manager) ruse to get adidas to part with more sponsorship money. Ali wore the famous tassled boots (which were known as the ‘Ali Shuffle’) in his fight, Ali defeated Bonavena in the 15th round.
He later wore these adidas boots again in his legendary 1971 fight against Joe Frazier, who was also wearing adidas. Later dubbed the ‘Fight of the Century’.
The bond between adidas and Muhammad Ali extended far beyond his athletic career. In 2004, when adidas sought a slogan to encapsulate the brand, they were inspired by Ali:
“Impossible is Nothing” became the cornerstone of adidas’s largest advertising campaign, marking the brand’s revival. In those campaign visuals, Muhammad Ali himself appeared, competing alongside his daughter and running with adidas staples Zinadine Zidane and David Beckham.
adidas also brought out an Muhammed Ali themed collection of apparel and trainers in 2004. They released a ‘Values’ serie in 2007 featuring the image of Ali depected by 6 artists on tracksuits and adorning Stan Smith trainers.
Unusally for adidas the ‘Ali Shuffle’ tasseled boxing boots were never released again in standard size. But they did release a mini version, part of the highly sought after and collectable adidas ‘Mini Museum’ collection in 2012.
Impossible is Nothing.
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