With its rubber toe protection and non-marking sole, the shoe caught the attention of NCAA and NBA players, notably Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and George Gervin.

[4] As it was replaced by newer designs for basketball, the second iteration of the Superstar found a new market as casual footwear, propelled largely by the hip-hop and skateboarding scenes.

[2] Hip hop group Run-DMC wore regular street clothes on stage instead of traditional pop-standard costuming.

This version has been made in many colors and designs, including themes such as NBA teams and major US cities.

The shoe featured a different leather upper to reduce weight, impact protection, and a combined sockliner and midsole for better comfort.