The Mexicana was the first of a trio of suede “trainers,” running shoes designed for both track and off track use. The popularity that adidas enjoyed after the 1948 World Cup soccer championship game, continued with excellent showings at the Olympic Games, giving the brand an increasing following. Each Olympics allowed a wider margin to open, with three white leather upper equipped models – the Rom, the Italia, and the Olympia garnering a significant following around the 1960 Olympic Games, held in Rome, Italy. The Mexicana was introduced for the 1968 Olympic Games held in Mexico City. Mine were originally used for school wear, but eventually became my favorite running shoes, covering significant mileage through the summer before I entered high school. The layers of foamed rubber and adidas’ well cushioned arch support gave the shoe a great ride, at least for the time, while the price tag was more than 5 times as much as my shoes they replaced!