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It’s been a while but, in the past, I’ve reviewed outdoor products for hiking and backpacking that include hiking shoes and boots. I’ve been wanting to start reviewing more products outside of the tech and hiking genres. With that in mind, I have decided to add causal shoe reviews. That includes dress, casual, gym, running, and sandals. To start this new category of reviews I want to start with an oldie but a goodie, the Adidas Samba Classic Soccer Shoes.
Adidas Samba Classic Soccer Shoes – Features
- Features taken directly from the Amazon Sales page.
- Iconic leather soccer shoes for indoor play
- SUPPORTIVE UPPER: Full grain leather upper with suede overlays offers durable support
- CUSHIONED RIDE: Embossed EVA midsole for superior comfort
- SUPER GRIP: Non-marking gum rubber outsole for excellent grip on all indoor surfaces
- SOCCER SIZING: Product is men’s sizing. Women should size down 1 to 1.5 sizes
- Consider the width of your feet for an optimal fit, The X and Copa soccer cleats will fit perfectly on regular-width feet. Predator soccer cleats are made for regular to wider feet.
History
The Samba was created in 1950 for soccer players to train on frozen pitches (soccer fields). The shoe has a legendary look that everyone knows by name or by style. Over the years the shoes haven’t changed much.
My history with the shoe
Back in the 1980s and 1990s I wore the Adidas Samba Classic Soccer Shoes for both indoor and outdoor soccer matches. Off the field, I also wore them as well. Over the years, I’ve owned multiple pairs and loved them. As an adult, I always wanted another pair. Then in November 2024 during a Black Friday Sale, I found a pair nearly $20 off its normal price and had to get a pair.
Adidas Samba Classic Soccer Shoes – The Review
The shoes came in a banged-up Adidas box that was of an older design. That was a little concerning. The shoes look to be new, however, there were some random fuzzies on the toe box. That may be because the box was damaged and slightly opened in the shipping box.
Next, I noticed that the original light tan gumshoe sole is now a dark-brown color, and the insole now has cushioning and some arch support that I do not remember having on my last pair of shoes. I looked them over and they look to be the real deal.
I did some research and found several reviews where the reviewers reached out to Adidas, and they said they updated to the gumshoe for “the better.” Those same reviewers also mentioned that these new gumshoe soles aren’t an update. Some reviews say the gumshoe failed with just a little bit of a gym workout and the non-marking soles can now mark up the floor.
So far I haven’t noticed any issues of floor marking or damages to the soles. Then again, I’ve only got about 5 miles of walking in them.
Other than those new features, they still have that vintage look that hasn’t changed in decades. I love them.
The Shoe Design
I’m used to wearing zero-drop shoes, large-toe box shoes, and a minimalist shoe and insole designed to be as low to the ground as possible.
Zero Drop
The Samba is about as close to zero drop as you can get for a traditional shoe. I can’t tell if there is a rise in the heal area. If there is, it’s so little, that it’s not noticeable.
Would I consider this a Barefoot Shoe?
No, these shoes have a thicker outer sole. But it is still a lot less than most shoes. I can still feel the ground underneath my feet.
The Toe Box
The toe box is like most shoes. There’s not a lot of room for your toes to spread and grip the bottoms of your shoes as you walk and run. I also find the entire shoe is narrow. They fit true to size, and they are tight on my feet. Not uncomfortable, it just means I can wear them loose and only tighten them when I’m running. If I were to purchase again, I’d size up a half size maybe a full size. It depends on my plans for the shoes how much extra the shoe has and if it creates a tripping hazard.
Insoles
At first, the insoles were uncomfortable. There was way too much support in the arches. It was so annoying I was about to return them. The insoles are glued in so I thought I couldn’t remove them. At closer inspection, I found they had a slight tacky glue under the insoles, and I was easily able to remove them. On inspection, I found Adidas glued some foam pads at the arch. It reminded me of the shoulder pads found in 1980s and early 1990s clothing. I was able to remove those glued-on pads. Once removed I put the insoles back in and the tacky glue still worked and is keeping the insoles in place. Now they are comfortable!
The Extra Long Tongue
One of the most iconic features of the Adidas Samba Classic Soccer Shoes is the extra-long tongue. It does not serve a purpose other than branding and brand recognition. This can be annoying for some. If you do not like them then do not get them. If you do get them do not complain about it. You can always fold the tongue down. For me, it doesn’t bother me. I love the shoes and have no issues with them
I have some unboxing videos I did for Instagram reels. I will share the video here once I have time to edit the video.
If you want a pair of Adidas Samba Classic Soccer Shoes I found mine on Amazon on sale. During that time it was the best price I could find.
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