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Hollywood’s most fashionably-inclined rotate their handbags like no other, but an It-sneaker is harder to come by. Adidas Samba trainers are both a pair that have managed to cut through the noise, and have stood the test of time. Classic as they may be, even sneakerheads who stay tapped into the latest buzzy drops agree.
The runners launched in 1950, and have since become one of Adidas’s all-time bestsellers, owing to their affordable price tag, accessibility (no queues for these retro lace-ups) and history.
Vogue’s Ultimate Adidas Sambas Edit:
- The Cult Classic: Adidas Originals Samba OG sneakers, $100
- The Supermodel Staple: Adidas Samba OG leather and suede sneakers, $100
- The Two-Toned Pick: Adidas Originals Samba sneakers, $100
- The Red-Hot Trainer: Adidas Samba OG sneakers, $130
- The Baby Blue Style: Adidas Samba OG leather sneakers, $120
- The Hint of Green: Adidas Samba OG sneakers, $120
Having served many an athlete during its early years, the Samba is most famously associated with the 1970s, when the three stripes become an emblem of football terraces.
In the 1990s, the Gallagher brothers nodded to terrace culture during their Oasis heyday, meaning that the Sambas – and Adidas’s other popular shape, the Gazelle – became an emblem of pop culture. In Danny Boyle’s 1996 cult film Trainspotting, lead character Mark Renton, played by Ewan McGregor, wears burgundy Samba Supers.
Modern takes on the style today are more fashion than football, and evidence that Adidas Sambas aren’t going anywhere comes courtesy of the It-girls. Footwear fanatic Emily Ratajkowski, who also owns sporty styles from Nike and Reebok, is a Samba fan. Kaia Gerber dresses down her French-girl essentials with the trusty sneakers, and Bella Hadid offsets her bright vintage threads with classic Sambas while her sister Gigi Hadid, ever the fan of oversized, breezy essentially, styles Hera with a button-down and cut-off jorts.
Also a fan of Adidas Sambas with Jorts is Hailey Bieber who rotates the brand’s black and white vegan leather Sambas with a poppy red pair.
A trainer needs little introduction when it’s received Rihanna’s seal of approval. At moments when her rare sneakers—which have hypebeasts frothing at the mouth—look too splashy, Rih swears by the Adidas original. Take her decision to wear Sambas instead of her go-to Amina Muaddi heels with a Nensi Dojaka LBD last summer. The singer’s partner A$AP Rocky is also a fan.
Among other fans are Katie Holmes, who, naturally, has been spotted out in New York City wearing the popular trainer’s with Prada’s latest limited-edition Galleria Bag. Meanwhile, when not on set, it seems Olivia Wilde is most in her element at the gym. Often spotted leaving a workout, two-piece athleisure set flashing the toned abs to prove it, the staple Adidas style is usually the actor’s active footwear of choice. Fellow actor Jennifer Lawrence, quietly becoming the face of casual yet elevated street style, frequents a similar style along with a suede gray pair, most often accompanied by room jeans or a baseball cap.
As well as the original colorways, the fashion pack swears by a slew of limited-edition styles made in collaboration with other buzzy brands and designers, including a range of designs with Sporty and Rich, as well with musician Pharell, now Louis Vuitton newly appointed creative director of men’s, by way of his own fashion line Humanrace. A fan favorite Sambas rendition comes in joint effort with London-based designer Grace Wales Bonner, who has released delectable versions in dopamine hues for her seasonal collaborations with Adidas.
Bonner’s fresh takes on the Samba take inspiration from her heritage and a vast array of references, from the British-Jamaican community in London in the ’70s and Jamaica in the early ’80s to dancehall music. “The Samba trainers have a rich football heritage and they naturally integrated and transformed the wardrobes of many cultural icons,” she previously told Vogue, adding that it felt like a “natural choice” to include them in her collections.
And as for us Vogue staffers, we’re wearing our Sambas with everything from elevated essentials to the season’s latest It items. Some of which include timeless trench coats, drool-worthy denim, knit maxi dresses fit for fall, to even tailored trousers for a modern take on workwear. In our opinion, every cool-weather wardrobe needs a pair of lifestyle trainers, and these below are cool, but forever classic.
From the catwalk to your closet, step into a Samba or two this fall. Join the club with our picks, below.
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