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adidas Samba

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Made in the 1950s for footballers stuck on snowy winter pitches, the adidas Samba never really left the game. It just picked up a second career. Today you’ll see it on terraces, in offices and on indoor courts, sometimes on the same pair of feet in one day. Below are the Samba models and colourways we currently have in stock.Read more

The Samba at a glance

Born1950s
First jobFootball on snowy, frozen pitches
Signature detailsGum rubber sole, T-shaped toe overlay, three stripes
TodayEveryday sneaker, street football, indoor football

A football shoe that got famous off the pitch

adidas built the Samba for grip on cold, hard ground. Over the decades the shoe was updated again and again, and the low, flat profile designed for winter football turned out to look sharp with jeans. Fashion picked it up. Football never let it go.

Do people still play football in Sambas?

Yes. The flat sole and low cut give you a close feel for the ball and quick turns on hard surfaces, which is why the Samba still turns up in street football and indoor games. It has no studs, so leave grass and 3G to football boots. For a weekly indoor league, a dedicated IC futsal shoe is the better tool.

The details that make a Samba a Samba

Look down at the toe first. The T-shaped overlay is the Samba's signature, usually in suede, and it is the part people recognise from across the street. The gum rubber sole gives the shoe its warm, honey-coloured base. Add a slim leather upper and the three stripes, and you have a design that has barely needed to change.

How to wear them

Sambas sit low and slim, so they look best with trousers that show the shoe. Straight or cropped legs work. Wide trousers that swallow the toe hide the best part. Track pants with a stripe down the side are the obvious match. Obvious works.

Keep the leather and the gum looking good

Wipe leather with a damp cloth and brush suede dry with a soft brush. Let wet pairs dry at room temperature, away from radiators, as heat dries out leather and suede. The gum sole darkens with wear, and that patina is part of the look. Between two sizes? Customer service helps by phone, email or live chat.