Can adidas Samba-fy the Samba’s Sporty Cousin?
"Fetch" is to Gretchen Wieners as the Samba Millenium is to adidas. Except adidas is having a lot more luck making the sporty sneaker happen.
If you haven’t gathered from its name, adidas Samba Millennium is a sportier version of the classic and still-popular Samba. Released in 2009, exactly 60 years after its OG namesake (and nearly a decade after the new millennium, which makes its name that much weirder), the Samba Millennium sneaker goes full sports mode.
Notably, it wears adidas’ Torsion sole underneath, which gives the hefty silhouette its arched profile.
Another key difference: instead of that crispy thin Samba sole, adidas' Samba Millennium wears a meaty EVA-cushioned midsole with a contrasting façade that interrupts the sneaker's gummy brown base.
This is precisely what makes it a tougher sell than the sleek Samba, though the Samba Millennium is hardly down for the count.
As the great philosopher Baby Tate once said, you can't outdo the doer — so while the Samba Millennium may not be able to reach the same stylish heights as the Samba (unless a Wales Bonner collab is in the works), it’s still a sneaker to watch. The only thing standing in its way, really, is a more obtuse shape that only needs a solid colorway or two to be truly appreciated.
Plus, its relative obscurity sets it apart with the sneaker crowd, so for anyone seeking a still-wearable Samba alternative, the Samba Millennium remains a respectably cool choice, especially with it retailing quite widely at outlets like adidas' web store for a reasonable $150.
The thirst for Samba-adjacent sneakers has never been greater, after all. Is the Millennium the quencher the culture needed? Probably not.
But it's certainly a contender. Not bad for a shoe that's about 15 years old.
