crooked tongues magazine News Features

No seasonal roster from Originals is complete without multiple adidas Samba sightings. Looking at what's set for next month, we've seen two good examples — we know there's a "story" here with one of the makeups showcased here, but we've stuck it alongside a plainer, but no less effective variation. Why? Just for sake of it. They both look great. Having grown up with the flatter, narrower, indoor-friendly Samba Super on sale at bargain prices rather than the frozen pitch play original version, we weren't huge fans. This version of the Samba however, is a classic, and it's been pushed with a certain gusto over the last couple of years.

There aren't a lot of training shoes with DNA stretching back to 1950 that can still cause excitement round these parts. That's because good adidas design is ageless. They were making equipment for every facet of sports back in the day, and the legacy is a ridiculous archive of classics built for even the most niche pastimes, so you know they'd really go for it when it came to something as integral to German culture as football.

The white and navy version needs little introduction or explanation — it's just a good looking shoe in an iconic set of colours down to the gum sole. The premium version is part of the 'Casual' pack that's rolling out over the coming months. There's plenty more versions of bestsellers, many with a terrace history, arriving with a similar treatment. We think the 'Casual' name is a nod to the non performance-led nature of the premium execution on the upper rather than a cash-in on the well-dressed obsessives who elevated adidas to legendary status as a trend totem in Europe.

The blue and brown leather evokes denim, in a far more literal way than the adidas Jeans being made to look good with jeans (another example of how effortlessly adidas were pumping out classics back in the day) — does that brown leather heel represent a waist patch? We're not entirely sure. What we are certain of is that the leather and suede used is impeccable, and that the gum sole works well too. Respectful rehauls of the very best of the brand is always something worth paying attention to. Both adidas Sambas are available to pre-order in the Crooked Tongues store right now for a July release. After flirting with it in the Consortium line, we're interested to see where adidas are looking to take the 'Casual' concept throughout the year...