[imagesource:flickr]

Adidas Sambas have been described as “this year’s It-footwear”, “the official shoe of the season”, and “the defining sneaker of our age”.

All that changed last week after British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, wore a pair of Sambas during a Downing Street interview to promote his tax policies.

Following the sight of the PM trying to be an ‘ordinary person’ with his Sambas, the sneaker community is now lashing out at the iconic Sambas almost as harshly as they did against the Heavens Gate Nikes.

The ‘archival pub shoe that works almost anywhere’, is finding out that nothing kills off a fashion item’s perceived cool like a disliked politician being snapped sporting it. Or as UK journalist Ed Cumming tweeted: “Thinking of the Adidas Samba community at this difficult time.”

Thinking of the Adidas Samba community at this difficult time pic.twitter.com/bu9Np2UDQk

— Ed Cumming (@edcumming) April 5, 2024

Some sneakerheads are even speculating that the shoes were a gift from Nike as a sly spot of corporate sabotage.

The Guardian led the charge against the PM’s shoe appropriation, labelling it “a look that aims for Succession-style stealth wealth but lands on midlife crisis fintech mogul”. Calling it a “killer blow to the object’s cachet”, the publication lamented that “the only place where Sambas now have any street cred is Downing Street. And the clock is ticking on that one”.

“Sambas suddenly aren’t just uncool – they’re a bit Tory. The chosen trainers of the lame duck leader of a dying government.”

“Overnight, old-school favourites have become Tory trotters.”

Yes, Rishi Sunak is not the most-loved politician in the UK, and now he has dragged Adidas down with him. It’s going to take some very clever marketing by Adidas to get out of this. It could be a great opportunity if their marketing team gets it right. But they have to get it perfectly right or London’s favourite sneaker is doomed.

As The Guardian’s Mike Hogan puts it: “They’re like rats – In London, you’re never more than six feet away from a pair of Sambas. Well, no more.”

R.I.P Sambas.

There is always the PUMA Palermo as a favourable replacement. Don’t tell Sunak.

[source:guardian]