CDG Adidas Samba OG Sneakers

There are shoes to be worn. This was one that was to be remembered.

Fashion is a short-lived thing. Fashions come in with a bang and go out with a whimper. But occasionally there are two names that meet and form something which does not belong to a season- something which is not a part of any cycle.

That thing is the CDG PLAY × Adidas Samba.

On the one hand: Adidas. One of the most imitated sneaker silhouettes in the history of sportswear, a brand with more than 70 years of sports heritage. On the other: Comme des Garcons PLAY – the Japanese house that showed the world that the strongest thing you can do is to be silent.

What becomes of a meeting with them? You’re looking at it.

≫ Not Your Average Samba

Footballers, skaters, artists and all kinds of people have worn the Adidas Samba. Since the 1950s, it has managed to survive all the decades without being reinvented at all, as its design was flawless.

CDG PLAY did not make contact with the silhouette. They didn’t need to.

What they carried was such as the Samba had never carried before: a point of view. The CDG iconic symbol, designed by Filip Pagowski (directed by Rei Kawakubo) is placed on the side-side panel as it should always have been. Not loud. Not competing. Just a present. 

Watching. Telling nothing and telling it all.It is the Samba of those who distinguish between putting on a shoepair and making a selection.

≫ Details Of CDG Adidas Samba OG Sneakers

Style: Low-top sneaker

Collaboration: CDG PLAY × Adidas

Silhouette: Classic Adidas Samba

Top: High quality smooth leather.

Overlays: Suede panel detailing.

Lining: Smooth fabric – breathable throughout the day.

Insole: Cushioned – full-length comfort.

Midsole: Low rubber, grounded, clean, flat.

Outsole: Vintage traction gum rubber classic outsole.

Three Stripes: Leather -constructed into the upper.

Tongue: Co-branded CDG PLAY x Adidas brand.

CDG Logo: Embroidered on side panel.

Closure: Lace-up

Fit: Unisex -true to size.

≫ Craftsmanship

There is no way a shoe this clean just occurs.

All the panels on the Samba upper are made of the finest smooth leathers,–leathers that do not crease and peel at the edges, and that do not lose their shape after three months of actual use. 

The Suede overlays are chosen not to be decorated, but to contrast the texture of the leather, and they do so without rising up, without fraying, without giving way.

The three stripes are not printed. They aren’t heat-transferred. They are made of leather, the same stuff as the upper, and are sewn in a manner so that the seam is not visible, and the stripe lies flat under all circumstances.

The gum rubber sole is vulcanized – a method of construction whereby the sole is connected to the upper by heat, and the connection does not come apart, does not crack and does not go soft in hot climates. It’s the same technique used on the original 1950s Samba. It has not changed since it does not have to change.

The CDG emblem is hand-appliqued – at precisely the right angle, at precisely the right height, so that it is readable at all distances without being too overwhelming of the silhouette.

This is how it appears when two brands that consider craftsmanship make a choice to create something together.

≫ The Gum Sole Isn’t Just Aesthetic — It’s a Philosophy

All the choices regarding this shoe were calculated. The gum rubber sole is not a fashionable one, it is a classic. It is the same sole that created the original Samba iconic in 1950. The very same sole that has been used on all the continents, in all the decades, and has never seemed to be out of place.

CDG PLAY selected it due to their knowledge that most brands do not have, restraint is a kind of confidence. When you are certain that your product is outstanding, you do not have to alter it. All you have to do is to appear.

≫ Three Ways To Wear It. Zero Ways To Get It Wrong.

The pedestrian anchor – Straight-cut jeans, clean white tee, these shoes. The surest formula of outfits in contemporary style. The Samba lays it to rest. The CDG logo boosts it.

The trendy step – Wide-leg jeans a little cropped, a fitted CDG PLAY polo or crewneck, these footwear in the centre-stage. The Samba trouser break is made to sit just right by the low profile of the Samba, clean, purposeful, gallery-ready.

The entire CDG universe Pair – any CDG PLAY clothes commedegarcon.com. When you’re wearing the emblem on your shoe and at the same time on your chest you are not wearing a brand, you are speaking a language.

≫ Before You Order

The Samba is just the right size- no upsizing or downsizing. In between sizes, half a size up to have a looser fit. The upper is made of leather which will bend and shape to your foot within the initial few wears.

Unisex sizing. Complete size guide on the product page.

≫ Two Legacies. One Shoe. Yours.

The Adidas Samba did not require salvaging. The CDG PLAY emblem didn’t need a new home. But when they met something occurred which neither could have done in solitude–a sneaker which bears the burden of two full histories and yet seems to be floating on your foot.

It is not a museum work that you put away. It is the shoe of a wearer– made to wear on the ground, beneath a real pair of trousers, on a real street, and leave real impressions.

Some collaborations are made for the moment. This one was made for the long run.

See What is New at Comme des Garçons including CDG Polo, CDG New Arrivals, and the popular Comme des Garcons Cardigan  collection. Browse CDG Long sleeve and CDG Striped Shirt, style it with a classic CDG Shirt, and complete your look with CDG Sweater and Sweatshirt CDG. Keep exploring more collections for additional stylish picks.