A few years ago, Adidas was fading away in America like a tired 1970s rock band, its once-iconic three stripes producing more nostalgia than sales. adidas zx 750 black But the German sports brand found a more contemporary beat by partnering with rapper Kanye West and other pop culture icons and aggressively engaging its target.

Suddenly, kids began buying the shoes their parents wore, now infused with retro chic. They bought them in such quantities that Adidas snuck up behind Under Armour and recaptured the No. 2 position in combined U.S. adidas zx 750 grey apparel and footwear sales from the Baltimore-based brand, according to an NDP Group analyst.

It's such a thing,said Keli Reyes, a University of Maryland sophomore who wore white Adidas Superstar sneakers and a black Adidas ball cap as she walked on a recent afternoon at the school, adidas zx 750 navy where the athletic teams exclusively wear Under Armour.Her friend, sophomore Remi Warner, also wore Superstars a variation of the model that Mark King, Adidas' North American president, said he wore in 1972.

It's not just a retro feel that enabled 68-year-old Adidas which is much older than rival athletic brands Nike and Under Armour to mount a U.S. comeback. The company said it is more rapidly changing designs, adidas zx 850 colors and fabrics than before, catering to U.S. consumers accustomed to frequently seeing fresh looks.

Until a couple years ago we probably hadn't done as good of a job as we would have liked on a lot of different fronts,said King, adidas zx 850 black who became president of the North American division, based in Portland, Ore.in 2014.And the first was making North America a real priority for the company.