They’re popular for a reason: the Adidas Sambas, Gazelles and Spezials will always be timeless. Even though I keep up with what is “in,” I’ve never liked the current trend culture for a couple reasons. Trends today are different than they used to be because of our generation’s use of social media. We go through trends much quicker, and this is very stressful and wasteful when we try to keep up with what’s currently trending.
At first, I thought that the Adidas Sambas were going to be yet another trend that came in strong and left soon. It wasn’t. Adidas sneakers have proven to be something that will be around for a long time, but why these shoes? Why are they so popular, and why will they remain this way?
The Sambas were the first of the bunch to become popularized, and they actually have an interesting history; surprisingly they weren’t always intended to be fashionable everyday footwear. In fact, the Sambas were originally designed in 1949 in order to help football players in Germany play and train on icy, snowy ground. Just as we have them today, the original design has the classic three stripes. However, through the decades, Adidas has made many changes to the look and functionality of the current Sambas.
I was shocked to discover that Sambas are not just a new trend. The change in the appearance of the shoe made them more fashionable over time. During the ’70s and ’80s, the shoes became an iconic football symbol for their comfortable and effective design, especially in the UK and throughout Europe. Then, in the ’90s, the sneakers became a known look in the skate scene.
It’s obvious that the Adidas Sambas have known glory before today, so what differentiates their rise in our generation? Well, the shoes have had their moments, and some people might think they are suddenly everywhere, but they’ve actually been coming back since 2020.
During 2020, Adidas entered many partnerships and got numerous celebrities to wear and be seen wearing their shoes. Some include Emma Chamberlain, Frank Ocean, A$AP Rocky as well as Bella Hadid. These are big names with influence. There began the resurgence of the Adidas Sambas. These promotions of the shoes were intentional by the brand, and this is a normal marketing technique, but what followed is not.
Ultimately, the people give power to the current popular trends; we collectively decide that something is chic and worthy of our money. As celebrities were seen in these shoes they caught the eyes of many people and they increasingly began to be inspired to buy the shoes. The Sambas were posted on media like Instagram and even on TikTok in videos captioned “underrated shoes you need” or “shoes you need in your closet.” Social media had these shoes in an uproar, and by 2023, they were running the shoe game. For example, #adidasgazelles now has 540 million views on TikTok.
Sambas were fully integrated in style by January of 2023, and today, they are just as frequently worn. The Gazelles followed the original and are now the latest name in discussions revolving staple shoes to own. Even if the Sambas aren’t big in the sense that we’re constantly talking about them or encouraging their sales, they are still on people’s feet, so they’re still clearly relevant and popular.
Figures like Harry Styles, Jacob Elordi and Kendall Jenner have moved the ascendency of the Gazelles after the Sambas. There may not seem to be a difference between the look of both styles of the shoes but the slight differences in their appearances add a different vibe to outfits, and because of that, people may prefer one over the other.
In early 2024, the Adidas Handball Spezials quickly started popping up with stylish famous women such as Kaia Gerber and Arnold Jerocki wearing them with casual yet classy outfits. The reason these variations of everyday Adidas sneakers are so popular and common in fashion today is because they are basic when we want them to be, yet also distinguishable when we need them to be.
Every day, I can find someone wearing one of these sneakers on campus. I’ve seen people wear them with sweatpants and a hoodie while running Sunday errands as well as with a fancy outfit at night in a high-end restaurant on the Upper East Side.
I don’t own a pair (yet). Like I mentioned, I don’t like how quick trends come and go in today’s age, so I’m wary of buying something if it might become irrelevant or even hated soon. This might sound unreasonable, but we’ve seen it in the past with shoes like Filas, which get slammed online. However, these Adidas have shown they are here to stay. They’ve been popular since 2020 and now that I spend so much time in the most fashionable city in the world, it’s clear to me that they work with so many outfits. I will be buying a pair, now it’s just a matter of deciding which of the three I want to get first.
Loresa Zeqiraj, FCRH ’28, is a international studies major from Yorktown, N.Y.
