Customer Reviews adidas Originals Samba® Leather

I hesitated to buy this shoe because of the complaints about the synthetic tongue. It did squeak right off the bat. I applied some lotion a few times (at the advice of another reviewer) and have had no problems since. That said, because the tongue is synthetic it causes two other problems. One, it won't stay in place. And, two, it sometimes will get a small fold in it that will then press uncomfortably on your foot. Compared to the Superstar 2 it feels more cheaply made and, though comfortable, is not nearly as comfortable as the Superstar 2.

Husband and all three boys love to wear Sambas. They stretch out well and get more comfortable over time. Boys like to wear them to school because they play soccer at recess. If you are not a soccer player, I would recommend a fitness shoe with more of an arch.

Very comfortable shoe. Satisfied with fit and style. They are not as white as I had expected them. They squeaked the diary couple of times I wore them, made for funny day.

The Originals is a great pair of shoes. Once you break them in they become really comfortable. They do squeak a lot for some reason due to the tongue.

First the good: the shoes look great; I always get positive comments when I wear these. I travel a lot and wanted a functional pair of casual shoes that don't take up too much room in my carry-on. These fit the bill exactly. The not so good: they fit snugly. I went a half-size up when I ordered. They fit, but only just. If I wear them all day, they start to get uncomfortable. So, if you order these! Order a full size larger than usual. I'll do that next time I buy a pair. They also do squeak when you walk, but as others have noted rubbing a little lotion or mink oil on the tongue takes care of that (you need to reapply every month or so).

I have had some that squeak and some that don't. They are very comfortable and look amazing with a lot of outfits. You really can't go wrong when you purchase a pair.

My husband loves these shoes and the way they look but they're taking a long time to break I which is driving us crazy because... They squeak like mad! I think it's the leather. Also, he is normally a size 12 and be needed a full size up. The 13 fits. The 12.5 was still too small.

I'm a 9.5, but needed the 10 in this shoe. At first, even the 10 felt tight in the toe box, but the shoes loosened up after wearing a handful of times and now are much more comfortable. They don't have tons of support or cushioning, though they're fine for walking around (better than my Puma Driftcats or Asics Tigers). I really like the ways the Adidas look - classic, dressy... I had the squeaking others have mentioned - a quick rub with lanolin glove conditioner on the tongue cleared it right up.

These are comfortable and look pretty good. There's not a whole lot of arch support but for a casual shoe it's good enough. The only problem I have is that they are extremely squeaky, especially when new. This is apparently a common problem with these shoes and there are several different solutions proposed if you search.

This is the return of the Samba. Not sure how long Adidas has been selling this shoe as the Samba "Original", but it beats the Samba "Classic" before you even put the shoe on. I'm in my late 30's and have been wearing the Samba OCD religiously for three decades, and for at least half that time Sambas just weren't what I remembered. This is that shoe again, fits like a glove, sits low and sleek on the foot...you'll never feel more retro. The top of the heel with the Adidas name and original logo complete the shoe beautifully. Before I go into anaphylaxis over these shoes though, I must say it feels ever so slightly cheaply built. Especially the tongue. I'm guessing the life of the shoe is two years tops wearing them 2 or 3 times a week. Adidas would (and should) make a killing making a more expensive, supple kangaroo leather version of this shoe for $100 a pop. Does that break the elation about the style / fit? Not for those of us who remember and were made Samba addicts by the original decades ago.

I liked the look of this shoe a lot...but there were a couple of things that were problems for me and led to my returning the pair. The tongue is sectioned into 3 sections, with the sides folding under the center. The way the shoe was packed accentuates this fold and it was very difficult to get my foot into the shoe and not have the tongue folded deep down into the shoe. Length and width felt fine... but the shoe was actually "short" for me. My big toe didn't have enough height inside the shoe to really fit, despite clearly having some length to spare in the shoe. I did like the look and other aspects, but the "height" issue specifically was a dealbreaker.

This is my 4th pair of classic Adidas, and comparing it to the Grand Prix, Spezial and the Seely. The Sambas are much lower than your average low tops. Though comfortable, there's little to no cushioning for the sole. Forget about arch support. I didn't have the problems of squeaking as mentioned by the other reviewers. Overall, it doesn't hurt my feet, but it doesn't support it either. You'll just have to decide if you want to suffer a bit for the sake of style.

I'll have to join with some of the other reviewers regarding the squeaking. And they do fit a bit more snug so the suggestion is to go at least a 1/2 size larger. Although they have gotten a bit more comfortable with breaking in but not as much as the Classic Samba. The Original Samba is a great looking shoe & I do get compliments on them. Yet being a long time Puma wearer before these, Pumas are definitely more comfortable and do not require any break in period.

These are my first pair of Sambas. I have friends who swear by Sambas and that's all they wear, but I like a bolder shoe. The color scheme on these rules. It's a well-made shoe, looking forward to getting some mileage out of them. Definitely rock the red laces.

Got these for my husband. He's worn Sambas for decades now, and gets a new pair every 3 years or so. The style has changed somewhat since his last pair, seems stiffer and shinier. His regular size fit fine. Like everyone else says, they are squeaky. Really squeaky. That's a design flaw, and I hope Adidas will address it.

I really like these shoes during the winter. I have sweaty feet, so my feet would get swampy in warm weather. They did take some breaking in, but once they were broken in, they were great. These seem like pretty high quality shoes and have lasted me a long time. I wear other shoes that breathe better during the summer though.

I love the fit. My only complaint is the side comes up a little more than my ankle was used to. But, this stopped bothering me after a week. Either the shoes broke in, or my ankles calloused. The shoes have minimal arch support which I was looking for (get the classics if you want more). As all the reviews say, these shoes are crazy squeaky. There are lots of tips on how to alleviate this. I wiped the tongue down with a wet rag which greatly improved the noise.

This is a comfy sneaker. When I saw that the blue and white was was on sale I purchased it for my hubby. He loves it.

I love the look of the original Sambas. I've owned many over the years for both playing soccer and daily wear. They're better as indoor soccer shoes, than shoes you're be comfortable wearing all day, but the styling is great for whatever you feel like. The Samba Millennium are more comfortable shoes, but the originals look better. I just picked up the white, red, and blue version (which come with red laces if you want to replace the white laces), and they look sharp. Not planning on messing these up playing soccer in them of course. I bought a size 9 and the sizing is right on (which is a little roomier for me). I prefer a 8 1/2 Samba Millennium for indoor soccer, though.

They look nice. Took about a week to break in complete with blisters. The "leather" isn't like any leather I've ever seen, it's almost plastic-like leather. They also have the added benefit of squeaking when you walk in them so everyone will hear you coming.

The only issue I have with this shoe is that it has this rubber material on the tongue of the shoe. It rubs on the "leather" part of the shoe anytime you walk and squeaks like crazy. I just took a knife a "skinned" the rubber part off of the tongue and it seemed to fix it.

These shoes looks awesome. I do not recommend them is you have flat feet though. You will get tired easily. It does not have arch support so it is like walking on a flat surface. They are not good for long walks. Having said that, they are excellent for playing indoor soccer (the shape makes it easy to juggle the ball) and for skateboarding.

I think this is an incredibly stylish shoe and easily be worn casually and not for soccer. I play on a turf field with these shoes and can sometimes slip. These are used best for indoor soccer.

Nice shoes, quite comfy. Squeaky at first but still great. Different colored laces are sweet with these!

Very nice looking shoe. However it is very stiff and uncomfortable when worn for long periods of time.