The Adidas Samba has gained such popularity over the last few years that it’s probably at risk of becoming uncool. At least that’s what tends to happen when even CNN starts calling something trendy, and Hypebeast begins speculating on what will replace it.
Still, Adidas clearly has plenty of ideas on how to keep a sneaker originally designed for indoor soccer in the 1950s interesting 70+ years later.
Over the last several months alone, we’ve seen everything from Olympic and ballerina-inspired editions to influencer collabs and 75th anniversary special editions.
The new Samba OG Made in Italy edition marks yet another push for the sneaker into somewhat unchartered territory. At $350, it’s more than three times the price of the standard Samba OG and by far the most expensive Samba in Adidas’s lineup now. It’s also easily the most costly non-super shoe Adidas sells under the standard Adidas label, only bested in price by the company’s luxury fashion label Y-3, made in partnership with Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto.
But the luxury price tag comes with luxurious details to match. As the name implies, this premium version of the Samba is handcrafted in Italy, a country that knows a thing or two about luxury goods.
Specifically, Adidas shares that the shoe features “a hand-polished calf leather upper and leather lining sourced directly from Italy and hand-painted finishes” and describes the color combination as “supplier color,” “Wonder White,” and “Gum,” in a nod to the shoe’s sole.
