First non-sporting sneaker endorsement

In mid-1986, hip-hop trio Run-DMC (USA) signed a $1.6-million (£1.08-million) endorsement deal with German sportswear company Adidas, becoming the first individuals outside sport to be given a deal for sneakers.

The genesis of the deal began on 29 May that year, when the group (comprising Joseph “Run” Simmons, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels and Jason “Jam Master Jay” Mizell) released the single “My Adidas”. Paying tribute to the eponymous brand, and specifically the low-top Superstar shoe, the song reached No.5 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and prompted a sharp increase in Adidas footwear sales on the US East Coast.

The group’s co-manager Lyor Cohen subsequently invited Angelo Anastasio, an Adidas executive, to Run-DMC’s concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City on 19 July that year. During their performance of the song, the group asked the 40,000 fans present to hold up their Adidas sportswear. They followed up with a video, including a direct plea to Adidas to give them a million dollars.

The group’s pioneering deal opened up a new non-sporting market in urban streetwear for Adidas, and paved the way for billion-dollar deals between hip-hop artists (and musical artists in general) and fashion chains.