Adidas Stan Smith Consortium: SNS 20th Anniversary
Price: $119 [SOLD OUT: Check eBay for Current Prices]
Why Buy?
The Adidas Stan Smith Consortium x SNS offers a subtle twist on the original Stan Smith makeup, without being overpowering
Why Stay Away?
The Adidas Stan Smith Consortium x SNS is getting hard to find, and Stan Smiths with better materials are available for a similar price.
Specs
| Model | Stan Smith Consortium |
| Height | Low |
| Colorway | SNS Collab |
| Size | 12.5 |
| Weight | 452 g / 15.9 oz |
| Construction | Cemented |
| Country of Origin | China |
History:
The Adidas Stan Smith has a long and storied history. I won’t belabor it since we already went into it in our Stan Smith Recon review from a little while back, but in short, this sneaker has been everything from the top of the line in athletic wear, a streetwear icon, a J. Crew staple, and even presidential footwear. However, what are you going to do when everyone already has a pair? Look into a collaboration like this one with Senakers N Stuff. By the way, if you didn’t know, Adidas calls their collabs the Consortium line, meaning this sneaker is the Stan Smith Consortium X SNS.
Sneakers N Stuff, or SNS for short, is a Swedish sneaker ship that’s one of the major brands in the business. With stores in NYC, LA, Tokyo, London, Paris, Berlin, and Stockholm, they are a household name among sneakerheads. You’ve probably taken an L on their app recently. Of course, being so well known, they have been able to get collaborations with a number brands, including on this pair of Stan Smiths.
Made to celebrate their 20th anniversary (I know, this review is three years late), they decided to keep things subtle. How did it turn out? Let’s take a look.
Looks:
Upper:
The Stan Smith Consortium x SNS does a great job looking like a traditional Stan Smith at first, but offering special details to those who go spend an extra moment on them. Of course, that means that it has an upper without much ornamentation. You’ll still find the three stripes masquerading as vents. Laces run through 14 painted metal eyelets, covering a face on the tongue.
However, when you look at that face, it might not be what you expect. Instead of the flowing hair of Stan Smith staring back at you, you’ll find Peter and Erik – the founders of Sneakers N Stuff – staring back at you. I appreciate that Erik kept the 70’s mustachioed vibe going.
As you keep looking over the sneaker, additional changes pop up. The gold lettering on the side, which is common on the higher end Stan Smiths, is still there, but this time instead of the model you have the Sneakers N Stuff name.
There are even more subtle changes. The tumbled leather on the SNS collab has a slight cream tint to it, almost unnoticeable unless you put it directly next to another pair of Stan Smiths. The sneakers are also completely devoid of the classic green color that adorns most Stan Smiths. Instead, these use black on the heel and tongue.
Inside, this pair of Stan Smith Consortiums use a typical knit lining on the back half, and are unlined up front. Under foot, an Adidas Trefoil sits next to an SNS logo on the white insole.
Mid- and Outsole:
On the bottom of the Stan Smith Consortium x SNS, you won’t find anything different than regular Stan Smiths. That isn’t a bad thing, this outsole has been placed on countless sneakers and will be placed on countless more, but it may save you some time if you’re looking for a difference.
What that means is a cream white, swooping design – stitched up front, but not in the back. A subtle texture gives a bit of visual interest, and a large “adidas” logo under the heel breaks it up a bit.
Flipping the shoe over, those classic Stan Smith circles are there. Not quite even, as if they are doing their best Giant’s Causeway impression. Another Adidas logo in the middle puts a bow on the bottom of the shoe.
Summary:
The Stan Smith Consortium x SNS does a great job at taking the original Stan Smith and mixing it up just slightly to offer something different. While an over-the-top collab has its place, sometimes it’s nice to have something that only those in the know will recognize. Something that sneakerheads will see and appreciate, but can also just act as a clean sneaker.
Personally, I wear my Stan Smiths when I’m looking for something in what the British might call smart casual. Chinos, a lightweight button-down, maybe a cardigan. Here, they fit right in.
Fit & Comfort:
Fit:
The Adidas Stan Smith Consortium line fits just like every other Stan Smith. For most guys, that is around a half size larger than brannock, but a half size smaller than most other sneakers. The biggest difference is the width, so if you normally size up because sneakers are too narrow you might want to go down more. If you don’t have width issues, you might want to go with your normal sneaker size.
Thankfully, the Stan Smith is available everywhere, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find a pair to try on.
The shape is fairly basic – no strong taper, rounded toe, etc. This allows for the sneaker to fit a lot of feet, but don’t expect a lot of lock down.
I take the Stan Smith in a 12.5. For reference, I take the Adidas Ultraboost in a 13, a Jordan 1 in a 13, and most stitched footwear in a 12.
If you want to see a sizing comparison for every shoe reviewed on this site, click here.
Comfort:
The Stan Smith – no matter if it’s a Consortium or not – is based on a sneaker from the 1970’s, and it shows. The insole puts in a great effort, making the shoe pretty comfortable the first time you put them on, but will compress over time. Other than an insole, the only cushioning you get is from the rubber lattice in the shoe buckling under you as you walk.
I wouldn’t suggest buying a pair of Stan Smiths expecting the comfort to last long term – though I don’t think anyone is doing that.
One thing I have found surprising is that the sneaker does a surprisingly good job of supporting your arch. The insole is complete flat, so you might expect something similar to Converse, but that thankfully isn’t the case. This isn’t orthopedic levels of comfort, but it’s definitely wearable in a way some older sneakers are not.
Materials & Construction:
Materials:
Is this where we get to talk about the ever-elusive Stan Smith tiers?
It’s no secret that Adidas has a variety of different levels of quality for their Stan Smith line. Ranging from the made for outlet variety to the premium line, if you care about material quality you need to look a bit deeper than just the name.
For most Stan Smith Consortium models, including this one, the materials are somewhere just below the widely available high-end model. You’ll get real leather on most of the upper – though the black panel is fake. This isn’t quite the best Adidas has to offer, but still pretty good for a sneaker. Better than what Nike brand puts on their shoes for sure. Further, while there is a coating like on most sneakers, it’s fairly thin allowing the leather to patina naturally.
The leather on this is even more important as Adidas is slowing moving away from leather on almost every model of Stan Smith. While that is great for the animals, it isn’t so great for durability of your shoes.
This line also feature’s the higher end model’s thin leather tongue, as opposed to the puffy fake leather found on the standard model. Don’t worry, there isn’t any impact on comfort or fit. Inside, a jersey knit material probably won’t last as long as the leather lining in the higher end, but is still plenty comfortable.
Underfoot, a fairly thick insole provides most of the comfort, with a rubber outsole keeping you off the ground. It should be noted that the rubber on Stan Smith’s is definitely on the thinner side. This helps with the deflection mentioned in the comfort section, but the trade off is durability.
Construction:
The Stan Smith is primarily constructed with cemented construction. If you’re looking for a more in-depth dive on what that means, click here, but in short, the upper of the shoe is glued to the outsole using contact cement. This is by far the most common construction method sneakers, as it’s affordable to make and very flexible.
The Stan Smith does use a bit of stitching along the toe of the sneaker, though it stops about 1/3rd of the way back.
Ease of Care:
The Stan Smith Consortium x SNS has a few key things going for it for the perfectionist compared to other Stan Smiths. First, since these are not a stark white, they hide little specs of dirt significantly better than other pairs. It isn’t until you wear a pair of bright white kicks do you notice just how quickly sneakers get dirty.
Having a little bit more plastic on them also helps keep things clean, as plastic is naturally more repellent to dirt.
If you’re looking to keep away creases, I would suggest looking into some shoe trees. Real leather uppers want to conform to whatever shape they are left in. If you wear them around and let them dry curled, they will stay curled. If you use trees when they are not on your feet, they will stay flat.
Pricing & Value:
Pricing:
Originally priced at $119, it is long since sold out in most sizes. That being said, if you’re a U.S. size 4 I have some good news, you can get a pair from SNS directly for just $35.70. For anyone else looking for a pair, you’ll need to go resale. There is not a ton of stock on these, so pricing is hard to find. eBay has pairs right around $100, though very limited selection. StockX has a few more pairs, but pricing is higher, ranging from $120 up to $367 at time of writing.
If you’re looking for alternatives, I think the other Stan Smith options are a clear place to start. First, if you don’t care about the leather upper, a basic Stan Smith can regularly be found for between $50 and $70. Alternatively, for a similar resale price to these, you can find the top end models.
Another option for those looking for a plain white sneaker with all the bells and whistles are the truly high-end brands. These include brands like Common Projects, Koio, and more. All of these are going to have materials that are significantly better than the high end Stan Smiths, but at double the cost (or more).
Value:
I’ve said it before, but I think that the non-base model Stan Smith offers one of the best values in sneakers that you can buy. This Consortium X SNS model is no different. The leather is better than basically anything that Nike has put out in the last 5 years. They will last as long as you can reasonably expect a sneaker to last. And they are extremely versatile.
Even better, this SNS collab manages to give a few subtle changes that make them interesting, while resale costs less than retail. At $100 these offer stellar value. If you or your significant other are a men’s size 4, buy the leftover pair now.
Wrap Up:
Like all Stan Smiths, the Consortium X SNS model offers a great value, with really cool details. It also marks the end of an era for interesting collabs on the Stan Smith made of leather.
It’s one of those sneakers that is almost a no brainer to pick up if you ever find one in your size.
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