What is it that makes a good shoe? Style? Durability? Price? Performance? How about all 4! The adidas Samba Classic easily delivers all of these traits. I'm currently on my third pair of these beasts and will continue to buy more as long as adidas chooses to make them.

History
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So what's with the "classic" part of the shoe's name? Well, let's start with a bit of history. You might want to follow along with the pictures I have posted at http://sadida.com/samba.html. The Samba has been around for quite some time. I'm not sure how long exactly, but I've been aware of it's existence for well over 10 years. I'll trace it back as far as I can and maybe someone can help me out with the rest in the comments area.
There are quite a few models of Samba that led up to today's classic.

* My favorite is back when adidas still used the trefoil logo exclusively (see pic 1). This was well before the performance logo (stripes in the shape of a pyramid) that is found on most adidas shoes today. Interestingly enough, neither logo appears on the current Samba Classic, only the adidas word logo. Back then, the word classic also appeared on the shoe.

* The next change for the Samba came around 1992 when the trefoil logo was removed from the tounge (see pic 2).

* Then, a few years later the word "classic" was removed. Apparently adidas thought the shoe looked too busy with all of that wording, no wait... that's what I thought :) Perhaps they thought that too. This is the shoe that can be bought in the US today (see pic 3).

Style
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Some may say the Samba is plain. I say it is elegant. It's true that the design is simple, but that is the beauty of the shoe. Nothing extra is included. Every stitch serves a purpose. The shoe is built to perform and just happens to look dang sharp doing it! I wear my Sambas as street shoes quite a lot. They are very soft, conform to the foot well, and can be worn for long periods of time without fatiguing your feet.

Durability
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You can bang these up, but you can't kill them. If you wear these shoes to play soccer, you WILL eventually wear holes in the suede toe bumpers, but that is what the bumpers are for. You wear through the bumper, but not the shoe. You can continue to wear these puppies long after you have worn through the toe suede, as long as you don't mind the appearance of a hole, even though there isn't an actual hole into the shoe. I usually wear them to this point and then retire them to the abuse patrol. Believe me, I have tried to finish a couple pairs of Sambas off, but they just won't go away. I use them to mow the lawn, paint, etc. The leather is very strong. It stays soft and flexible over time. It also has the remarkable property of retaining it's color so they hardly ever need new black added to them.

Price
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It's amazing how cheap you can get these shoes. Normally they retail for $45-$50, but if you look carefully you can find them for around $30! $30 for a pair of shoes is a pretty good deal if you ask me. If you have a Kohl's store in your area, they usually have good deals on Sambas. Otherwise, try and catch a deal on the web.

Performance
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As good as these shoes are for everyday wear, they are engineered to be an indoor soccer shoe. I have owned quite a few models of indoor soccer shoes before I found the Samba. I've had a pair from Diadora, which while a sturdy shoe, didn't have the flexibility and touch that the Samba does. I also used to sport a pair of Lottos, but they turned out to be an inferior copy of the Samba. They had many of the same properties but fell apart rather quickly.
Once you have broken in a pair of sambas you will literally be able to feel the panels on your soccer ball. This is essential for above average players. The long tongue also provides the option of being folded over to help minimize the effects of your laces while striking the ball.

Negatives
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There aren't a whole lot of negatives with this shoe, but I hate when people don't bother to try and think of any, so I will save myself from hypocrisy and list a few :)

* Heel cup - The heel cup in the Samba seems to wear quicker than the rest of the shoe. Perhaps it is the way they fit me, but it seems that I wear through the back edge of the shoe quicker than I should.

* Fold over tongue that doesn't fold - It takes a bit of effort to get the tongue to actually fold over correctly. I recommend storing your shoes with something holding the tongues folded over if you really want them to fold over. I personally don't care for the fold over, so I haven't tried too hard to make them do it.

* Arch support - If you do plan to wear Sambas as street shoes, do note that there isn't a lot of arch support. If you have high arches, you will need some additional inlays or be prepared to deal with some discomfort.

Samba Relatives
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If you have decided to try out some Sambas, you should be aware of the other members of the Samba family. I've also included pictures of these shoes on the picture page.

Samba K - This is the Daddy. The 'K' stands for Kangaroo which is type of leather used in these bad boys. Kangaroo leather provides even better touch than cowhide, but personally I don't think it is worth the extra cash. You can get two pairs of regular Sambas for the price of a single pair of Ks.

Samba Nu-Buc (original) - Brother - The first Nu-Buc. Nu-Buc is another type of leather. It is a bit like suede. I really can't tell a lot of difference between the two while playing.

Samba Nu-Buc colors - Sister - If you don't care for Black shoes, you can choose from royal, navy, green, etc.

Samba Millennium - Little Brother - Adidas updated quite a few models for the turn of the century. The Samba Millennium is one of those new models. I haven't had a chance to wear these, but I like the looks. A big thanks to Adidas for continuing to produce the Samba Classic along with the Samba Millennium.

One last interesting tidbit before I go. If you remember the Cosby Show from some years back, you might remember that Bill Cosby wore a black pair of adidas shoes during most episodes. Can you guess what those were? You got it, the Samba!



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