Only the adidas Samba Can Make Cardboard Look Luxury
Give it to adidas to make cardboard look good.
The latest Samba OG drop lands in two colorways, a stealthy all-black suede and a warm “cardboard” brown. On paper (pun intended), “cardboard” sounds disposable: moving boxes, recycling bins, school crafts.
But adidas flips the script, turning the most ordinary material into something unexpectedly refined and luxe.
Instead of corrugated paper, the upper is chamois leather, soft, absorbent, and enduring, with tonal suede stripes. The gold branding on the tongue is the only pop, giving this humble “box” a subtle shine. Call it cardboard couture?
The Core Black pair goes in the opposite direction through blackout suede, a blackout sole, and minimal branding. If the “Cardboard” version is cheeky, this one’s pure stealth.
Both stick to the Samba’s slim, flat-footed silhouette, the same one that’s been everywhere from Wales Bonner collabs to dress-shoe Sambas with tassels.
If we’ve learned anything from the past year, it’s that lux Sambas look good, especially when they come from the most unlikely places.
The adidas Samba OG “Core Black” and “Cardboard” release August 2025, for $110 on adidas’ website.
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