As if anyone needed any more proof that adidas' Samba shoe is one of the most versatile sneakers on the market, allow us to present the latest iteration: the Napkin Samba, brought to life by Studio Hagel, an Amsterdam-based design collective.
These sneakers are so pretty and dainty that you'd almost not even want to take them out of the box. Almost.
Studio Hagel reimagined the Samba by doing away with the sneaker's usual suede, nylon, or leather upper. Instead the upper is covered in what can only be described as a layered tea towel.
Hagel cited vintage napkins as inspiration and that becomes clear the second you compare its latest Samba masterpiece to the real McCoy.
The napkins' delicate cotton weave and intricate embroidered accents are thoughtfully translated into the intricate floral pattern that dances atop the uppers of Hagel's Samba sneakers, all rendered in jewel tones of yellow, blue, and pink with thick-stitched seams.
Really, the overall effect is that you want to plan a pretty picnic so you have somewhere special to wear these shoes. Not bad for a riff on the world's most popular sneaker.
This is not Studio Hagel’s first masterpiece.
Launched in 2015, Hagel has worked with brands such as Stepney Workers Club, Off-White™, Valentino, and Ecco to create various collaborations of veritable sneaker art. Hagel also designs its own sneakers and often creates innovative one-off footwear.
The embroidered napkin adidas Sambas unfortunately fall into the latter camp. These are a custom design that aren't going to see wide release any time soon, sadly.
Or will they?
The official adidas Instagram page replied to a post on Highsnobiety's Instagram page where the Hagel imagery was reposted.
"Put it in a museum," adidas said, complete with a mouth-agape emoji. Don't just do that, adidas, make 'em real!
Certainly, Hagel's Sambas would help infuse some additional verve into the still ultra-popular Samba. It doesn't really need the help, really, but would anyone complain about getting evermore adventurous Samba designs?
