Yes, the adidas Samba started as a football shoe, and adidas still sells Samba models for indoor soccer. The first Samba came out in 1950 as a shoe for icy, snowy pitches, and the low Samba most people know today arrived in 1972 as a fast indoor football shoe. The Samba OG you see on the street is the adidas Originals version of that 1972 shoe.
The Samba has been around for more than 70 years, and most of the stories told about it skip the useful parts. This post follows the shoe through adidas's own records: where it came from, what changed in 1972, how it moved from the pitch to everyday wear, and where member exclusive colorways like the Mesa and Sonic Fuchsia pair fit in.
Where the Samba came from
Adi Dassler registered his company, Adolf Dassler adidas Sportschuhfabrik, in Herzogenaurach, Germany, on August 18, 1949. adidas says the Samba was created that same year to help a German football team keep its footing on icy pitches during winter training and matches, and it launched in 1950.
The first Samba looked nothing like the shoe we know now. It weighed 357 grams, and its outsole had three cut-out suction cups to grip frozen ground. adidas is clear on one point that often gets repeated wrongly: the shoe was not made for the 1950 World Cup, and it was not directly inspired by the Brazilian dance. According to adidas, it picked up the name Samba because of how well it handled icy pitches in a game in Germany.
1972: the Samba as we know it
In 1972, adidas launched the Samba in the form most people would recognize today. It was still a football shoe. Its outsole used what adidas calls a 3-zone profile, built for agility and grip in every direction during fast play. The shoe had soft padding around the ankle and heel, and a low leather vamp over the forefoot so players could feel and handle the ball.
Over the following years, adidas kept making practical changes, including cowhide leather, a pull-on tab and a colored outsole that would not mark indoor floors. That non-marking sole matters for the question in the title. adidas describes the Samba as a shoe that moved away from outdoor pitches and became a favorite of indoor football players, and its US site still has a Samba soccer category built around that history.
From the pitch to the street
adidas dates the Samba's move into fashion to the start of the 1990s, when the fashion crowd took it up. adidas credits the low profile, the T-toe, the soft leather upper and the 3-Stripes, which have stayed largely the same, for how easily it goes with anything from jeans to tailoring.
Collaborations kept it in view. In 2014, adidas released the Samba Super Battle Pack around the World Cup in Brazil, and in recent years the adidas Originals by Wales Bonner collaboration put the Samba in front of a new audience. adidas notes that Footwear News named the Samba its Shoe of the Year on November 29, 2023, more than 70 years after the first pair.
Samba OG and member exclusive colorways
The Samba OG is the adidas Originals version of the shoe, sold as everyday footwear rather than as soccer equipment. adidas keeps separate Samba models in its soccer category for people who actually want to play in them. If you plan to play indoor football, look at those instead of an OG.
Some Samba OG colorways are released as Member Exclusives. On its US site, adidas lists these behind adiClub, its free membership program, which gives members access to members-only products and limited releases. That is how the Mesa and Sonic Fuchsia colorway, style KK0004, was released in the US.
That pair is a good example of how far the OG has moved from the 1972 football shoe while keeping its shape. The whole upper, from the T-toe to the 3-Stripes and heel tab, is a long-haired suede in Mesa, a warm sandy brown. The round laces are Sonic Fuchsia, a bright pink, and the lining, insole and rubber outsole are Core Black. The pair we have was made in India.
Frequently asked questions
Are Sambas soccer shoes?
They began as football shoes. The first Samba came out in 1950 for icy pitches, and the 1972 version was built for fast indoor play. adidas still sells Samba models in its soccer category, while the Samba OG is the Originals version made for everyday wear.
When did the adidas Samba come out?
adidas says the Samba was created in 1949 and launched in 1950. The low version most people know today launched in 1972.
Why is it called the Samba?
adidas says the shoe earned the nickname Samba from how well it performed on icy pitches in 1950s Germany. It was not created for the 1950 World Cup or directly inspired by the dance.
What does Member Exclusive mean on a Samba?
It means adidas releases that colorway to adiClub members. adiClub is free to join on the adidas site.
Can you play indoor soccer in a Samba OG?
adidas sells the Samba OG as an Originals lifestyle shoe and keeps separate Samba models in its soccer category. If you want to play, those soccer models are the ones adidas builds for it.
adidas Samba OG, Mesa / Sonic Fuchsia
sabi is an online boutique based in Portland, Oregon. We offer free US shipping on orders over $50 and local pickup in Portland.
The sabi journal
Stories behind the things we carry