Since 2020, Grace Wales Bonner, the new queen of British menswear, and Adidas, the old king of everything else, have worked on an impressive 25 sneakers. They've been hypey. They've sold out. They've been an accessible foothold into the world of Wales Bonner: a luxury label that brings an “Afro-Atlantic perspective to European luxury” as she told GQ in an interview last June.
But, just when you thought you had seen everything, the Wales Bonner x Adidas Samba ‘Studded Pack’ comes along. It's the British fashion designer's most rebellious trainer collection to date. And it's also the rarest one too. So if you thought copping was tough before, things are gonna get a whole lot harder, son.
Revealed in two monochromatic colourways including ‘Cream White’ and ‘Core Black,’ Bonner's latest Samba is made from leather that's meant to look – and feel – even more top end than before. Her signature contrast stitching wraps around around the heel badge and tongue, which can be worn as normal or overlapping the lacing system. A serrated version of the three stripes emblem features across the lateral and medial sidewalls, and as the pack's name already suggests, these are decorated with a series of shiny, shiny metallic gold studs throughout.
Underfoot, the ‘Studded Pack’ shies away from the old school gum rubber midsole in favour of a very dark and very moody blacked out unit. Both shoes are then packed in limited edition dark brown boxes, which have been specifically created for the LVMH Young Designer Prize winner. They also come with extra laces too, which is always nice.
While most sneakers from this collab already sell out in mere minutes, if you want these in your collection this season, it's going to be an uphill battle. According to the various sneaker news sites, only 750 pairs of each colourway were made, and each one is to be individually numbered.
The Wales Bonner x Adidas Samba ‘Studded Pack’ is set to release on February 9 at Wales Bonner, Adidas, and select shops globally for £160 each. Expect resale prices to be double (or even triple) this.
