The Adidas Busenitz is the best-selling Adidas skate shoe on the market, and that’s not just because it was the first pro model Adidas Skateboarding released. The popularity of the Busenitz is based on its durability, style, and comfort. And, like most things Dennis Busenitz does, he made the design of a timeless skate shoe for a relatively new brand look all too easy.

We only need to look at the hundreds of failed skate shoe updates, styles, and models to see that designing a popular skate shoe is easier said than done. When setting out on initial designs for the shoe, Busenitz, a German-born soccer fan, pulled design inspiration from his favorite Adidas soccer cleat, the Copa Mundial (a.k.a. the World Cup). From there, he and Adidas shoe designers looked to two other popular Adidas soccer shoes for inspiration, the Samba and Spezial. What they borrowed contributed the necessary heritage Adidas DNA that is now an intrinsic part of all Adidas Skateboarding shoes, and the existing durability and comfort found in Adidas Originals like the Samba and the Superstar. From there, the Adidas Busenitz Shoe went through rounds of wear tests to dial in the padding, comfort, and fit. What they came up with has been one of the most influential skate shoe designs to hit the skateboard market.

Soccer players and skateboarders both benefit from a shoe that feels more like an extension of their foot, which is why soccer cleats and indoor soccer shoe design translates to skateboarding so well. While fans of Sambas and Superstars (a.k.a. Shell Toes) have been aware of this fact since skateboarders took to the streets, few companies really explored using soccer shoes as a base for skateboarding shoes. The Busenitz laid the foundation for the now iconic style of Adidas Skateboarding’s shoes that draws on its history as much as its progression.

As a skateboarder, Busenitz is known for his powerful, consistent skating that allows him to effortlessly get clips regardless of what terrain he is skating. Whether he’s pushing through a foreign city, skating a park or a simple manual pad, it doesn’t matter - he’s just a fun skateboarder to watch. His passion and dedication for skateboarding shine through in his skating and in his shoe design.

The Busenitz comes in a variety of soles and styles. The difference between the Busenitz and the Busenitz Vulc are the sole construction. The Vulc features a vulcanized construction whereas the Busenitz is a one piece cupsole construction. The Busenitz Boost, a casual, trainer style version of the shoe, uses Adidas’ popular Boost foam midsole. And finally, the Busenitz Vulc Samba is the vulcanized version of the Samba ADV.