For decades, the Adidas Samba has been the go-to sneaker for industry-leading fashion designers and snot-nosed middle-schoolers alike. Why? Because the style is humble, goes great with anything, carries undeniable street cred, and—this really isn’t mentioned enough—has a comfortable, soft leather upper that won’t make your toes feel stuffed into a rubber box (sorry, Adidas Superstars.)
Thanks to their popularity, Adidas has bumped the shoes’ 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. Then on Cyber Monday, that drop got even more vertiginous. The Adidas Samba became just $54, a whopping 40% off its typical price, something you rarely see happen to a brand’s most popular styles. The white colorway has since sold out, but somehow, if you’re looking for a pair in black—my favorite, for what it’s worth—that deal is still live today.
Sambas were originally designed for playing soccer on icy pitches, and I can testify from present-day experience that they haven’t lost any of their sporting practicality—as 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, they’re also undeniably a fashion shoe. Paul Mescal rocks ‘em, 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 style’s fans for almost ruining their fun.)
Even if you’re not a soccer nut or on-set stylist, there’s so much to love about the shoe—especially as we’re 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, it’s also almost ridiculous how much their aura improves pretty much any outfit.
There’s a scrappiness to the Samba that communicates that no matter how polished you are up top, you’re always down to get your hands (okay, feet) dirty. If you’ve worn them before, you know how much of a compliment-machine they are. And if you haven’t, well, there’s only so long left to buy your first pair for the best price we’ll probably see all year.
