How the Adidas Samba Changed Fashion and Sneakers in 2023 and Became the FNAA Shoe of the Year
On Nov. 29, the Adidas Samba will be honored with the Shoe of the Year award at the 37th annual FN Achievement Awards. Below is an article from the magazine’s Nov. 27 print issue on how the classic low-profile style almost single-handedly changed the fashion narrative for sneakers.
Nearly 75 years after Adidas debuted the Samba, the sneaker is once again having a major moment.
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Although built for the soccer pitch, the silhouette found new life among the style conscious, who also appreciate its accessible price. (The classic black and white look is priced at $100.)
And attention-grabbing collaborations with the likes of Pharrell Williams’ Humanrace label, Ronnie Fieg’s Kith, Grace Wales Bonner, Hello Kitty and others have only added fuel to the fire.
The shoe has certainly taken over social media this year. On TikTok, #adidassamba has over 832 million views, while #samba has been used 7.7 million times on Instagram.
The Samba also gained a loyal following of celebrities. Famous fans of the look include Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, Jacob Elordi, Timothée Chalamet and Hailey Bieber, among others. They’ve been seen wearing the style in unexpected ways — such as with mini dresses, long skirts and suiting — seemingly leading fashion fans to continue to adopt another TikTok trend, the “wrong shoe theory.”
Here, company executives, retail partners and friends of the brand explain why the shoe has been such a hit.
Bj?rn Gulden, CEO of Adidas AG
“It is so cool to see that a shoe that I used to play indoor soccer with in the ’80s is now the Shoe of the Year in 2023. The Samba is an icon that we at Adidas are very proud of. A big thank you to our Originals team who has been able to heat up the whole terrace/T-toe category. Great job, thank you, and more to come.”
Mary Dillon, president and CEO of Foot Locker Inc.
“The Adidas Samba is celebrated because its timeless and minimalistic style serves nearly any sneaker occasion. No matter how you identify as a sneakerhead, the Samba can have a place in your wardrobe because of its ability to balance function and swag. Moreover, Adidas continues to use the Samba as a canvas for today’s tastemakers, resulting in highly sought- after collaborations with each release.”
Ronnie Fieg, founder, creative director and CEO of Kith
“The Samba is one of my favorite silhouettes and, in my opinion, one of the most influential sneakers of all time. To see the evolution of the silhouette over the past decades while still retaining its key elements has been incredible to see and even led me to work on my own 8th Street Samba with Adidas and Clarks earlier this year.”
Torben Schumacher, GM of Adidas Originals, Basketball and Partnerships at Adidas
“Samba has always been for the people. adidas didn’t actually name it – ‘Samba’ was the nickname by fans of the shoe, inspired by some fancy footwork on the soccer field in the 1960s. It has been truly rewarding for us to see this most recent wave of love for the shoe. It’s a silhouette which lends itself to effortless style and carries a history which speaks for itself. We’ve loved seeing each and every interpretation, from football fans in stadiums to the most stylish figures in the world.”
Thom Bettridge, head of creative and content at SSENSE
“The Samba is a shoe that has defied the laws of physics in sneaker culture on a number of levels. To start, it’s been an It-Shoe longer than any sneaker can usually retain that type of heat. People were joking about getting sick of Samba-fever in mid-2022, and now it’s the end of 2023 and it’s still the hottest sneaker silhouette. It also reversed the tide of a trend cycle where shoes were getting chunkier and chunkier, forcing consumers to reconsider sleek 70s silhouettes from other brands.”
Jian DeLeon, men’s fashion director at Nordstrom
“The Samba represents what Adidas has always done best: classic tennis shoes that invented the mold for timeless casual footwear. Couple that with some high-energy collaborations with the likes of Wales Bonner and Kith, along with an overall trend that favors low-profile sneakers, and the gear worn by ‘90s-era British subcultures largely influenced by soccer style, and you have a winning combination that you can clearly see on the feet of stylish people everywhere.”
Willa Bennett, editor-in-chief at Highsnobiety
“With brilliant collaborations (my personal favorite being w/ Grace Wales Bonner), the Samba is timeless but timely — traditional but trendy, unique, and versatile. You can make them your own via ribbons and bows or wear them like everyone else (Frank Ocean, Bella Hadid, and Kendall Jenner). They ground an outfit while also standing out as an accessory. The Samba is limitless.”
For 37 years, the annual FN Achievement Awards — often called the “Shoe Oscars” — have celebrated the style stars, best brand stories, ardent philanthropists, emerging talents and industry veterans. The 2023 event is supported by sponsors Authentic Brands Group, Birdies, Caleres, Crocs, FDRA, Nordstrom, Saucony and Vibram.
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