When it comes to ridiculously sleek sneakers, adidas knows how to create a stud or two. Literally.

adidas' Samba sneaker exists in nearly every iteration, from lacy girlcore renderings to luxury chromed-out sneakers. Just about everything you could think to do to a Samba has been done... two times over.

And this includes the newest well-studded Samba sneaker, which is essentially a reduced version of the limited-edition studded Wales Bonner x adidas Samba collab from 2024.

Both the Wales Bonner version and the new studded Samba feature round studs along the Three Stripes, but these are no mere dupes. 

In addition to signature Wales Bonner touches such as the flipped-out tongue and stitched heel tab, the collaborative Sambas feature larger studs, making for a more visually robust sneaker. But the latest studded Sambas are simpler, making it more versatile.

Either way, it still satiates the same studded sneaker craving incited by the studded Wales Bonner Samba from a year ago.

Only 750 pairs of the embellished Wales Bonner sneakers were released, and, like anything the London designer touches, the shoes sold out quickly. And now those very Sambas are going for more than double the retail price on resale websites. Naturally, this left many Samba stans empty-handed and stud-less. 

Thankfully, adidas was swift with the alley-oop and whipped up a near-identical studded sneaker. This Samba, available soon on the adidas website for $100, was specifically designed, it seems, to scratch that studded Samba itch.

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