Notitle’s Sambas Need No Introduction
Shanghai-based creative agency Notitle and adidas Originals combined their minds for yet another excellent shoe collaboration.
Following their puffy-winged Superstars in 2021, the two reconnect to advance the Samba buzz with four nice takes on the popular adidas football shoe.
Notitle and adidas offer up the collaborative Sambas in burgundy, cowprint, green, and pink colorways, with contrasting hints for delicious colorblocking.
The schemes sort of remind me of this year's Gazelle Indoor colorways but applied to the Sambas (Notitle style, of course). And this isn't a jab, by the way — the 2023 Gazelles are chef's kiss. It's no wonder they're also having a moment.
Regarding constructions, Notitle's Sambas receive wholly suede builds or a suede-mesh combo, both ways bringing the rich palettes to life.
The Samba is still on the up and up, having received gleaming treatments (Wales Bonner), a color wheel of tonal flavors (Pharrell's Humanrace), and even a few KITH spins (you guessed it, KITH).
Notitle's adidas Sambas need no introduction — the colorways and material choices alone speak for themselves. Perhaps Drake was only partially right: titles ruin some things.
adidas' famous Three-Stripes gets some contrast stitching details, while an embroidered message on the heel reads, "Love saves the day." It's a play on the latest collaboration's whole deal, which Notitle described as "integrating emotions and reactions into the creation process, resulting in a new journey of collection."
Notitle and adidas also cooked up some equally good sporty apparel, including corseted track jackets, tennis skirts, knit polos, tennis dresses, ringer tees, running shorts, and visors.
Notitle's adidas collab launched on September 8 as a China-only drop through the adidas CONFIRMED app. And there's been almost no sight of the collaborative clothes or great Sambas on resale sites. Double pain.
Don't fret. Notitle and adidas' Sambas are reportedly dropping soon on the CONFIRMED app (again as a China exclusive), with the cow patterned and pink pairs releasing on October 20 and the remaining colorways launching on October 27.
Given the Sambas' everywhere-ness status and the goodness that is Notitle's spins, it's unsurprising to see folks praying for a wider release. Who knows? The holidays are around the corner. Maybe adidas and Notitle might be in the giving mood for a global launch. I sure hope so.
This article was published on September 14 and updated on October 20
