adidas' Samba Mule Doesn't Need a Heel to Stand On
There's only one thing more easy-going than a simple Samba — a Samba slip-on, of course.
adidas' Samba OG Mule is a backless iteration of the Three Stripes' most beloved (or hated, depending on who you ask) sneaker to date.
Under normal circumstances, the adidas Samba already plays it low to the earth with its slim rubber outsole and trim leather upper. Add on a chopped-off heel, and things get so sparse the Samba transforms from a sleek soccer sneaker into a snazzy mule.
The leather upper sports woven textile detailing, warmed up with a brown Three Stripes and matching adidas branding throughout.
As of late, slip-ons have become the bee's knees within the sneaker zeitgeist, though opinions are still split on what role a functional heel plays in making up a shoe.
Take a look at ASICS' dad-shoe-gone-mule, a semi-viral slip-on that has as many naysayers as it does fans.
The backless Samba falls into a similar category where the easy-wearing design that makes it stand out is the same design choice that gives some potential wearers pause. Like most hybrid shoes, though, the Samba OG Mule's deserved adoration sits on the other side of a little bit of online hate.
If nothing else, this shoe will certainly have fans in those of us who used to get fussed at for walking on the backs of our sneakers in primary school. A win is a win.
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