Studio Hagel has been working on some of the most experimental sneakers since 2015, and for its next project, the Amsterdam-based design collective has got its sights set on the Three Stripes with the Studio Hagel x Adidas Samba. Apparently inspired by those little twee napkins that you might find in restaurants that offer small plates at the price of much bigger plates, the old school silhouette has never ever looked as dainty as this.
Revealed in four colourways including white, pink, yellow and blue, one of the first things that you'll notice about these Sambas is the fully revamped construction. While most pairs are made from leather or suede (or even nylon), Studio Hagel has switched out these material for a soft crepe-like fabric. Each of the panels are highlighted by a line of contrast stitching, while little flowers are embroidered throughout the trainers for a Cecilie Bahnsen-coded aesthetic (she's the Copenhagen designer responsible for every woman's transformation into a prairie Brontë heroine).
Light grey cotton laces tie everything together, and down below, you'll find a full gum rubber midsole – like the OG pairs from back in the ‘40s when they were made for football, not flexing. The shoes are then finished off with “Hagel” branding across the lateral sides, just to remind you that these aren’t just any ol' Sambas.
We're not even two weeks into 2024, and Adidas is already going all-out with the classic silhouette. Not only has the trainer community been blessed with colourways like the ‘Black Gum’ (made in Italia, FYI), shit-hot collabs from the likes of JJJJound and Mita are also dropping very, very soon.
There's no news on when (or if) the Studio Hagel x Adidas Samba collection will release, but if it does, expect to find them at Studio Hagel, Adidas, and select stockists globally in extremely limited numbers.