The Samba wave isn't slowing down, and bloke (and blokette, thank Bella Hadid) core has held up pretty well. Even Rihanna is riding the wave with her recent Puma Avanti release. The NY fashion kids and IG influencers haven't moved on just yet, although we're hearing murmurs of actual cleats (please, no) and seeing some ballet flats on the streets (it's nearly fall; these are impractical). adidas has been fighting to maintain its market share in the sneakerhead community with the Yeezy fallout, but sales and demand for Sambas have never been higher. Sambas are sold out online in common sizes, even with frequent restocks. The last time adidas Sambas were this big, yours truly was in 6th grade.
The Samba OG in Black
You know these are in and do not care; you got a pair anyway. They look great with almost everything, especially that brand-new Man U jersey. You follow approximately 1,000 streetwear influencers on IG.
The Sporty and Rich Samba OG
You love everything Emily Oberg makes, and you relate to being both sporty and rich. Clean girl aesthetic and Princess Diana fashion are in your search history. If you weren’t lucky enough to get these when they dropped, the price on secondary markets is relatively low, so you too can own a pair for under $250.
The Wales Bonner Samba OG In Brown
You're a tastemaker. You got in on the Samba (and Wales Bonner) wave early and now make an effort to wear them less often because every aspiring fashion influencer on IG has been wearing these for a year. Your investment is paying dividends because your Sambas are now priceless. Wear with pride.
The Samba Classic
The foldover tongue is the standout detail here, and the devil is in the details. You care a little about being different, but not enough to venture further than the tongue of this shoe.
The Samba OG in Clay
Everyone has the black OGs, and you're a little bit different (and better). You didn't want to spring for the Gucci ones and didn't catch the Wales Bonner drop. The color on these is giving a 70s vibe, and I love it for the fall.
The Velosamba
You're cool AND you bike, probably on a single-speed. Besides, the price was right. Great detail on these is the lace holder, so you don’t get tied up in your chain.
The Wales Bonner Samba in Chrome
You're a baller and want people to see it because these things are gleaming and double the price of the OG. You wear a lot of statement pieces, and these pair perfectly with your chrome Telfar bag.
The “Gucci” Gazelle Indoor
You couldn't catch yourself dead in a pair of Sambas, so you opted for something totally different. These go perfectly with the vintage rugby you just picked up. You're a little salty that the Rowing Blazers x Gap collaboration came out and blew up rugby shirts because that was going to be your thing this fall.
The Handball Spezial
Nobody has heard of these, and they have that German twang to them. You also gate-keep niche European GORP-core brands.
The Gazelle
A sweet mix of Campus and Samba. The Gazelle is as classic and elegant as its name suggests. Deep down, you know you're a little bit better than people riding the Samba wave, but they're coming for you next.
The Copa Mundial
You read one Vogue article, and it got out of hand. Not only did you need to be different, but you made the most insane choice of wearing actual soccer cleats on sidewalk. For your own safety, do not wear these on the pavement when it's raining outside.
Cole Townsend is a developer, designer, and Head of Tech at Sole Retriever. He does some writing on top of helping keep Sole Retriever running on web and mobile! In his spare time, you can find him out running. Cole was a graduate from Williams College.
