After what has seemed like an eternity of waiting (which converts to about a year in the sneakerverse), the hotly anticipated JJJJound x Adidas Samba has officially landed. Rumors of the collaboration first surfaced all the way back in November of last year, and the final product is pretty much exactly what many expected from the Montreal-based streetwear label.
Founder Justin Saunders's first take on the Samba is outfitted in an off-white leather construction overlaid with light grey suede around the toe box. The padded tongue, heel badge, and serrated stripes are all decked out in “core black” leather, with the interior lining dipped in a vibrant yellow. It's very clean, very minimal, and very JJJJound.
When the Samba made its grand debut back in the 1940s, this Adidas silhouette was designed so that footballers could train on even the iciest terrain, which is why they made the midsole out of gum rubber. A lot of modern colorways have since replaced this with just normal rubber these days, but this particular pair throws it all the way back. There's additional branding stamped across the lateral sidewalls in gold foil, and all of this comes packed in simple all-white shoebox.
Unless you've been chilling under a massive rock over the past 12 months, you'd know that the Samba just had one of its best years yet. Back in March, Kith founder Ronnie Fieg and Clarks left sneakerheads in awe by taking on the old-school sneaker, and one month later, Pharrell Williams unveiled his “Colors Pack” which included over 10 monochromatic shades. With even more hyped-up collabs expected to drop in 2024, if you're a Samba stan (stanba?), now seems like high time to start saving.
The JJJJound x Adidas Samba “Off-White” is set to release sometime in March 2024, and will be available to purchase at JJJJound, Adidas, and select stockists globally at a retail price of $200 a pop. It'll drop alongside a “Core Black” colorway, followed by the “Mesa” in April.
This story originally appeared on British GQ with the title “The JJJJound x Adidas Samba was written in the stars”
