The Adidas Samba is an athletic shoe manufactured by German multinational Adidas. It is among Adidas' most popular shoes, being the second best-selling Adidas design of all time with over 35 million pairs sold worldwide, after the Stan Smith model.[1] It has been produced in a variety of colorways, yet the original black with three white stripes is by far the most popular. The shoe has a tan rubber sole that sets it apart from other Adidas shoes.
The shoe was launched in 1949 to enable footballers to train on icy, hard surfaces (hence the suction design on the rubber sole). Its original design featured the classic three stripes, as well as the golden trefoil on the foldable tongue. As the years progressed, the Samba evolved into the Samba Millennium (which was made without the extended tongue) and the Samba '85.
The relaunch in 2023 has been a huge success and a best-seller.