Day of the Dead is still several months away, but Adidas‘ plan for the holiday is already coming into focus.
The Adidas Samba “Día de Muertos” will release in two colorways near the end of September with a number of flourishes for the holiday. Both editions feature contrast blanket stitching on the T-toe and mustache, and the eyestay has been broken up into pieces in the shape of bones with multi-color floral embroidery on the upper most panel. A gum cupsole also unites the two variants
The two black and white colorways, each of which emphasizes one color over the other, are differentiated further through their applications of sugar skulls, or “calaveras.” The black-forward pair puts a top-hatted skull on the tongue tag and insole, while its white counterpart opts for a floral crown instead. The insole graphics then color in the flowers for an extra pop.
In addition to the Sambas, Adidas will also release two CrazyChaos 2000 colorways with similar treatments and a few more external splashes of color.
Adidas celebrates Día de Muertos each year with a range of sneakers tailored in new ways to the holiday. Last year, the Samba featured alongside the Gazelle and Campus to form a trio in green, yellow and orange, respectively. Embellishments were more minimal with tonal stitching patterns added around the collar and eyestay.
The wider sneaker landscape had no shortage of options in 2023 either, including an Air Jordan 1 Zoom Cmft 2; Nike Air Max 1, Blazer and Dunk Low; and Converse Chuck ’70s.
The Adidas Samba “Día de Muertos” sneakers will release September 27 with more than a month to spare before the holiday. Pricing is set at $120.
Ian Servantes is a Senior News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.
