After years of brand heat from its Samba sneaker and a recent focus on the Superstar, Adidas chief executive officer Bjørn Gulden is confident that its Stan Smith silhouette is ready to return to the spotlight.

On the company's second quarter 2026 earnings call on Thursday, Gulden noted that with the return of tennis-inspired dressing, he expects the Stan Smith sneaker to "start to grow again" with many versions of the sneaker, including updates to the original, rolling out soon along with several activations with many different partners.

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"We have big indications from fashion shows, from consumer groups, from research, that this direction is coming," the CEO told analysts on the call. "And the initial sales of the product that we have in is also working very well."

Indeed, the shoe was everywhere throughout the recent menswear shows during Paris Fashion Week in June. Adidas collaborator Willy Chavarria teased two colorways of a forthcoming Stan Smith capsule during his spring/summer 2027 show. One of which was worn by the designer — a white pair that features a green hairy suede heel tab and green rose detailing on the side of the upper — as he took his final bow. The tennis legend himself was also spotted at the show in a textured green suede colorway.

And at Y-3's spring/summer 2027 Paris show, the collection's footwear offering featured a series of reimagined takes on the Stan Smith sneaker. Here, the new Y-3 Stan Smith SQ silhouette subverts the shoe's timeless look with a more formal shape: most notably a square toe and a heel. Further seasonal permutations of the Stan Smith include the sleek Y-3 Stan Smith Lo Pro.

What's more, Adidas took over a multi-floor Parisian home for a two-day residency dedicated to the Stan Smith during men's fashion week . The event explored the shoe's influence through the eyes of a group of artists and musicians.

Gulden explained on Thursday's call that when Stan Smith takes off, as it has in the past, it "actually goes global," but is normally driven first by Europeans. "Then it goes to Asia and then less of course to a certain target group in the U.S.," the CEO said. "Although right now, ironically, the higher end in the U.S. has actually been very strong in demand for the shoe. And the triple white colorways, even the triple white Superstar, is doing very well. So the triple white look is definitely coming back globally, which is what we like with these kind of franchises."