Originally named "Adidas Robert Haillet" after the brand endorsed French prominent player Robert Haillet, in 1978 the sneakers were renamed after Stan Smith, an American tennis player who was active between the end of the 1960s and the beginning of the 1980s.

[5] The design and form of the shoe has basically stayed the same since it was introduced, but several new versions and colorways have appeared during the years.

Donald Dell, an American tennis manager, suggested Stan Smith, who took the offer in order to obtain royalties for the use of his name.

[3][12] During a 17 November 2009 interview that aired on The Tony Kornheiser Show, former tennis pro and sports agent Donald Dell said the original Stan Smith green-tab shoe has been in production since 1972, and generated more than US$65 million in revenue in 2008.

[13] To non-tennis fans, Stan Smith is probably better known for the shoe than for his past career as a tennis player.

For some sneaker collectors, the most sought-after vintage Adidas Stan Smith are the early versions of the shoe.

Young people have made this kind of art with various motifs ranging from simple drawings to more complex graffiti paintings.

Probably due to its often white color, the Adidas Stan Smith has been used as an object for sneaker art.

For example, many artists and design studios hand-paint Stan Smith sneakers and sell them as art.

[34][35] In 2008, Adidas Originals started a collaboration with American fashion designer Jeremy Scott.