The adidas Samba enters 2024 just as popular as it was in 2023 and 2022. Whether it’s the OG Sambas that you can order from any old sneaker store or the still-sought after Wales Bonner collab, the classic sneaker remains everyone's everyday It Shoe.
We are still so much at peak Samba that the kids on TikTok have been diligently devising ways to stand out and hunting for alternative shoes, all without straying too far from the Samba's appealing shape. Some folks think they’ve landed on the perfect dupe, so to speak, and it comes from — who else — adidas itself. Meet the VL Court 2.0 and 3.0.
To be clear, the VL Court shoes are completely different and equally classic sneakers, more skate shoe than terrace classic.
But as evidenced by a quiet flurry of unboxing videos and OOTD posts flooding TikTok since late 2023, the VL Court sneaker does just about everything the Samba can do.
Both iterations of the VL Court sneaker come in various colorways of tasteful suede and leather makes.
These include an all-black version, the classic adidas white with black stripes, and a particularly pleasing cream and brown set still currently available in limited sizes from a few semi-legit outlets.
The factors that most distinguish the VL Court from the Samba are its slightly chunkier rubber sole and the narrowed shape of its colored toebox, which gives the sneaker the feel of a very hip bowling shoe.
Sleek, retro, utterly timeless. And, unlike other so-called Samba alternatives, the VL Court has remarkably similar paneling.
People began looking to the VL Court because they were having trouble finding their size in the very trendy Samba, apparently, and the sleek sneak was a veritable must-have by the end of 2023, when Samba mania was in full swing.
Look quickly and to an untrained eye, the VL Court, sort of like the Campus 00s before it, might as well be a Samba.
The VL Court is no longer a best-kept secret, though, as plenty of colorways are sold out online, an indication that demand for the low-top, no-fuss sneaker is nearly as high as that of the Samba itself.
This represents a potential problem for folks seeking a Samba alternative for two reasons: it's not exactly painless to track down a shoe that's supposed to be more attainable than the one it purportedly replaces and it's not like the VL Court is all that different from the Samba itself. Anyone seeking a more distinct Samba sequel will likely look elsewhere.
But to the girlies on TikTok, it’s really all about keeping the Samba vibe alive with a different shape that's simultaneously fairly similar.
The VL Court is both sporty and preppy — perfect for an airport ‘fit, to slide on under extremely wide-legged pants, or to dress up a pair of jeans for lunch with your grandma.
It does all the things, TikTok influencers would likely say.
One thing it most definitely does is confirm what we all sorta already knew: adidas shoes are always in, even when they’re not in stock.
