Matt Varga With demand and hype around the adidas Samba reaching a fever pitch, the German brand is relocating elsewhere on the continent for the next new look of the model. First breaking on global versions of their website, the Samba OG “Made In Italy” reconstructs with premium materials in its debut black & gum colorway.
The geographical ties with this new version of the Samba go beyond just where they’re literally produced. The classy black/brown layout is steeped in the footwear tradition of the region, drawing inspiration from lux Italian loafers and dress shoes that have historically elicited world renown. The upper is a ground-up reconstruction of locally sourced leather, most clearly identifiable in liner which trades in its traditional white for beige. Though the hardware rejuvenation speaks for itself, the peripherals in the packaging also come with a heightened atmosphere: chiefly, two sets of flannel shoe bags bearing “Made in _” branding.
As always, adidas’ moves can’t be entirely separated from their competition. Though the luxury touch up for the Samba is novel in-house, the announcement comes shortly after similar Nike news with the Air Jordan 1 Wings, also made in Italy with brand new premium materials. Without having either shoe in hand, it’s nigh impossible to contrast the material quality between the two releases, but initial indications on the price point for the AJ1 reveal some degree of separation there, at least.
Though no concrete release date has been set, the adidas Samba OG “Made In Italy” is coming soon to the adidas Confirmed app. Expect a correspondingly premium retail price of $350.
In more overseas news out of Germany, they headed to London for the END adidas ZX 8000 “Future.”
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