Stella McCartney & Adidas Team Up For A Playful Take On Vegan Stan Smiths

Stella McCartney is pleased that the “conversation is finally here”. The conversation, of course, refers to the rising chat around climate crisis. “The world is crying out for change,” McCartney tells British Vogue. “The younger generation are standing up and telling us that our house is on fire and that we need to respond like we are in a crisis (because we are in fact in a crisis). As one of the most polluting industries in the world, the fashion industry is now at a crossroads. We need to come together and achieve sustainable change to build a better future.”

Of course, McCartney has been championing and spearheading conscious business practices since she started out in the fashion industry. For her second interpretation of Adidas' iconic Stan Smith trainers, she ensured they were entirely vegan, again. “A few years ago my husband (Alasdhair Willis) commissioned Adidas to make me a special pair of vegetarian Stan Smiths for my birthday as he knew how much I love the iconic trainer,” McCartney explained. “It got me thinking… so every time I saw the Adidas team, I’d say, ‘why can’t you make all your Stan Smiths veggie?’ It took a lot of convincing, and then finally we collaborated on the first pair of vegan Stan Smiths last year.” Now, the trainers are made from a mix of materials: “The ‘leather’ upper is synthetic,” explains McCartney. “The Stans usual glues were replaced with animal-free alternatives because glues typically used in the production of shoes and accessories derive from fish or animals, and are full of chemicals which are harmful to the environment.”

McCartney's eco-friendly trainers look near-identical to the original, save for a few (fun) details: The Adidas stripes down the side are replaced with tiny punched-out stars in rainbow shades – a consistent motif in McCartney’s accessories. And while Stan Smith’s profile remains etched on the right tongue, the left one features the designer’s portrait. The vegan Stan Smith, in contrast, features black and white stripes and the colourful laces are interchangeable with white ones. “The Stella Stan Smith is unisex as it was important that the theme was inclusive and for everyone,” said McCartney.

For McCartney, the new design is something which she’s “very proud” of. “Consumers really are more conscious of where things come from now, and how they are made,” she explained. “But I think many people don’t really care or can’t tell the difference between the real leather and faux leather pair. It just makes me think how many animals' lives could be saved if Stan Smith and Adidas would change from real leather to vegetarian leather, and use non-animal-based glues like we use.”

“The launch of our vegan Stan Smith brought us a whole new customer which was predominantly the younger generation,” McCartney continued of banging the drum when it comes to sustainability. “So many young people came into our stores to enquire about the Stan Smith, asking questions about what the trainer was made with, telling our staff about why it was important for them to choose a vegan shoe over a leather one and what it represented. This is the future.”