For decades, the Adidas Samba has been the go-to sneaker for industry-leading fashion designers and ninth-graders alike. Why? Because the style is humble, goes great with anything, carries undeniable street cred, andâthis really isnât mentioned enoughâhas a comfortable, soft leather upper that wonât make your toes feel stuffed into a rubber box (sorry, Adidas Superstars.)
Thanks to their popularity, Adidas has bumped the shoesâ price a little higher each year. On Black Friday, however, a workaround emerged, with Sambas appearing on sale at $60, a steep drop from their usual $90. But this week, that drop got even more vertiginous. Right this very second, the Adidas Samba is just $54, a whopping 40% off its typical price, something you rarely see happen to a brandâs most popular styles.
Sambas were originally designed for playing soccer on icy pitches, and I can testify from present-day experience that they havenât lost any of their sporting practicalityâas I see every few weeks in my amateur league games, where players sometimes show up in Sambas, and often score in them too. These days, though, theyâre also undeniably a fashion shoe. Paul Mescal rocks âem, Grace Wales Bonner has beautifully reworked them multiple times, and there was almost a diplomatic incident in April when the then-British Prime Minister started wearing them, too. (He eventually apologized to the styleâs fans for almost ruining their fun.)
Even if youâre not a soccer nut or on-set stylist, thereâs so much to love about the shoeâespecially as weâre approaching the icier, colder months. That tough rubber sole will grip onto even the slipperiest steps, while the leather and suede upper will keep your feet dry in the rain. Beyond their performance, itâs also almost ridiculous how much their aura improves pretty much any outfit.
Thereâs a scrappiness to the Samba that communicates that no matter how polished you are up top, youâre always down to get your hands (okay, feet) dirty. If youâve worn them before, you know how much of a compliment-machine they are. And if you havenât, well, nowâs your chance to buy your first pair for the best price weâll probably see all year.