adidas' Flat-Soled Trainer Is Basically a Samba...But Better
Since Samba's great revival, adidas is determined to bring out any flat-soled archival sneaker that looks like the football icon. Speaking of... hello, again, adidas Japan.
The adidas Japan sneaker first appeared in 1964 as a slim training shoe model for the Tokyo Olympics. Following a couple of general releases and even a recent stylish Wales Bonner spin, the adidas Japan has now come back even stronger in 2024 as part of the flat shoe takeover.
Collaborators like Y-3 have celebrated the Japan's minimalism, while adidas continues to appreciate the Japan sneaker's retro charm with vintage-looking perforated leather uppers and textured yellow soles.
Like the Samba, the revived adidas Japan also features a T-toe box, except doubled-stitched for an even more tasteful design that flatters the shoe's smoothed-out shape. Nice.
adidas previously reissued the Japan in VH as a knee-high boot style that resembles boxing shoes. But even up against the bigger bad boy, the low-rise OG remains a looker — especially in this new Samba-adjacent colorway, which arguably looks even better on the Japan, in all of its flat AF glory.
The adidas Samba actually appeared in this exact same cool colorway, dubbed "Mineral Green/Crystal Sand." And the stunning green scheme now lands on the similarly-styled Japan, wrapping the lowkey design in rich earthy green and creamy beige tones.
For those wondering, the adidas Japan "Mineral Green" sneaker is now available at the Highsnobiety Shop and adidas's web store.
Many adidas admirers are likely still riding the SL 72 wave at the moment. But who knows? If the retro Japan keeps coming out in colorways this good, we might be crowning a new flat-soled adidas sneaker soon.
