How The Adidas Samba Sneaker Became Fashion’s New Favorite Shoe (Again)
The Adidas Samba sneaker is by no means novel. First designed in the 1940s as a soccer shoe (or, rather, football, since it was created in Germany), the sneaker — a minimal style featuring a rubber sole and the brand’s signature three stripes and often constructed of a mix of leather and suede — spent over 70 years sitting amongst the athletic brand’s lineup of beloved sneakers which also include Superstars and Stan Smiths. But over the last year, and most noticeably the last few months, the Samba has emerged as the Sneaker of the Moment, preferred by trendsetters like Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner, and Frank Ocean.
“We’ve seen a noticeable uptick in both supply and demand for the Samba,” confirms Aniza Lall, SVP of commercial at Stadium Goods, where sales of the sports shoe have increased over 600% since June.
While it’s a stark rise for a sneaker that’s been around for decades, it’s not entirely surprising: Thanks to a number of high-profile collabs including Jonah Hill, skateboarder Jason Dill, and, most notably, menswear designer Grace Wales Bonner, the Samba is now available in more eye-catching iterations that are drawing in both men and women seeking the next It shoe. According to shopping app Lyst’s newest quarterly report, Adidas has risen four spots in the “hottest brand rankings,” to 13th place. With, according to the report, “the Adidas x Wales Bonner Samba sneakers topping the men’s hottest products list.”
“The Grace Wales Bonner collab is one of the most special [collaborations],” says Lall. “Mixing the world of high fashion with the [European] football roots of the shoe.” On resale sites, Sambas from the debut collaboration are samba-wales-bonner-core-black” data-ylk=”slk:listed for close to $1,000″ class=”link “listed for close to $1,000 — a clear indicator that demand for