Lionel Messi Brings His Golden Pedigree To The adidas Samba

In the wake of Messi’s move to Inter Miami last year, adidas has emerged as a main benefactor. Sporting both a sponsorship of the MLS club and a partnership with Leo, they’ve rolled out a ton of sneakers in commemoration including takes on the adidas Samba, adidas Gazelle and adidas Spezial. The latest iteration in that line odes to La Pulga alone, with Messi’s vaunted career inspiring a set of black & gold Sambas.

The inspiration for this pair reads the exact same as Lionel Messi’s career accomplishments; his eight ballon d’or awards, two Golden Ball awards, an Olympic gold, or perhaps most fitting, six Golden Boots. To that end, this colorway lets those accents take center stage, painting the Three Stripes logo and heel cup in reflective fashion. Outside of those sections, the classic Samba combination of a black upper and gum sole persists, still as appealing as ever in this dedication to the GOAT.

The Lionel Messi x adidas Samba releases on June 20th via Foot Locker; it will drop in men’s sizing ($100) and kids’ ($75.) Catch retail images just ahead to get a sense before the launch.

Sticking with the Three Stripes, the JJJJound adidas Samba appeared in a third “Mesa” colorway,

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