Fashionable Women are Still Wearing Adidas Sambas and Gazelles

Fashionable women are (still) wearing Adidas Sambas and Gazelles, and I could not be happier! The popularity of wearing flats is everywhere and nowhere more apparent than on the streets of Paris, New York, and London.

I expect to still see more Mary Janes and ballet flats, but the shoes that fashionable women are wearing all over Paris and New York are the Adidas Sambas and Adidas Gazelles. This is not new news; they’ve been wearing them for the last few years, but they continue to wear them.

At first, it was mainly in the traditional white with black, and black with white! But now I’m seeing them in all colors and even some with a gum sole.

A woman at a street corner in Paris wearing Adidas Sambas.

A mother and daughter walking on a street in Paris and the mother is wearing Adidas Sambas.

I’ve been raving about wearing Adidas Samba sneakers for a while now, and I’m not stopping anytime soon after seeing them all over Paris and New York. They became the “it” shoe, maybe because of comfort or the overall sleek look that goes with almost every outfit, and they are still as popular as ever! White with black stripes was mostly what I saw, but black with white stripes is popular too! And now I see them in all colors.

As you will see on their website, Adidas Originals, or the OG, have been around since the 1950s and were originally worn by soccer players as indoor soccer shoes.

A woman wearing Sambas and black knee socks with a cross-body messenger bag on her bike.

I’ve loved them for years, but much like many of my shoe preferences, only in recent years have they been fashionable. Since I’m tall, I always wear flats: loafers, oxfords, and tennis shoes. I had a phase where I wore the popular Veja sneakers; this year, it’s been all about the Adidas Sambas or the Gazelles that come in several colorways.

They look great with my preferred menswear look or style, but I also love them with midi skirts and dresses.

A woman wearing Sambas with a skirt walking on a Pari stree.

Fashionable Women Are still Wearing Adidas Sambas and Gazelles.

I was thrilled to see fashionable women, girls, and even kids wearing them all over Paris last year. It was mainly Parisians wearing Adidas. Tourists seemed to favor the Veja sneaker.

What other trendy shoe is so comfortable and costs only $100 to $120? Do you have a pair, or are you thinking about buying a pair this spring? Although they only sell men’s sizes, the conversion chart is helpful, and they run true to size, so finding the right size was easy!

A woman is sitting and wearing cuffed jeans with Adidas Sambas.

If you buy a pair of Sambas or Gazelles (especially suede leather ones), I highly recommend the protective shoe spray, even just for the gray suede around the toe. I got caught in a torrential downpour in Paris and thought my shoes would show the dirt from the rainy streets, but because I sprayed them right before we left on our trip, they still look like new!

Red Sambas and Gazelles are everywhere.

A woman in a trench coat with a cross-body bag is wearing red Adidas Gazelles.

A woman sitting on a bench wearing a red scarf and red Adidas Gazelles.

Photo credit: Alexandra Stedman

Red Adidas Sambas and Gazelles have also continued to gain popularity. Something as simple as a red suede sneaker with a trench coat, cropped jeans, and a leopard print bag, and it’s an outfit, as shown by fashion editor Alexandra Stedman.

A woman wearing a red cardigan, maxi skirt and red Adidas Gazelles.

A woman walking is wearing a leopard vest, jeans and red Adidas Gazelles.

Photo Credit: Alexandra Stedman

Red suede Gazelles make the outfit, whether it’s a red cardigan and a maxi skirt or a leopard print vest and blouse from Damson Madder. I love how she wore a red sock and an unexpected bright blue bag.