How Adidas Sambas, Nike Air Force 1s, and Converse Chuck Taylors Became Timeless Staples
By Anne McCarthy
In 1986, hip hop group Run-D.M.C. had a veritable hit on their hands with the song “My Adidas,” where they rapped about the famed shoe. “My Adidas…Walk through concert doors…And roam all over coliseum floors.”
Nearly 40 years after “My Adidas” hit the charts (and over 70 years after the sneakers’ 1950 launch), Adidas Sambas remain a cult classic. The shoe has also experienced a renewed surge, thanks to its popularity among many trendsetters like Emily Ratajkowski, Gigi Hadid, and Kaia Gerber. Hailey Bieber is also a regular wearer of the classic shoe.
The U.S. is the largest sneaker market in the world, according to Statista, and generated over $22 billion in sneaker sales in 2023. For most Americans, sneakers aren’t just shoes worn for athletic endeavors, they’re for everyday wear, too––including as a fashion statement.
Key Takeaways
- Powerful marketing and well-made products are a surefire formula for creating a classic and widely beloved shoe.
- The shoe must permeate pop culture (film, music, etc.), to earn cult status. Adidas Sambas, Nike’s Air Force 1, and Converse’s Chuck Taylors aren’t just seen on basketball courts and soccer fields––they’re everywhere: on models’ feet, in music videos, in films, and they even have songs written about them.
- Comfort and product design are key features; the more comfortable a shoe feels, the more interest it generates.
- “Sneakerheads,” or, people obsessed with shoes, care about limited editions and rarity.
- Collaborations between Nike and Louis Vuitton for Nike’s bestselling Air Force 1 shoe made the shoe stand out even more, particularly among the fashion set.
There is something to be said for a perfectly styled look up top and a classic shoe on bottom. The companies that manufacture evergreen shoes like Adidas Sambas, Chuck Taylors, and Nike Air Force 1s know that ensuring a shoe’s decades-long staying power boils down to staying relevant and not messing with a good thing.
Like smart fashion sense, a cool sneaker signals something to the world about you without you ever opening your mouth. A stylish and classic sneaker tells people that you care about trends, but you also care about the classics. And a classic sneaker is inimitable, making it even more distinct and recognizable.
Adidas Sambas
From Run-D.M.C. to films like Trainspotting, Adidas Sambas have long had their foothold in pop culture and in sports culture. The shoe is so popular again, in fact, that Sambas were dubbed “the It Girl sneakers of 2023” last year by outlets like In Style and Vogue and were projected to continue their footwear reign well into 2024, which they have. And Marie Claire, Elle, and Who What Wear have all touted the importance of this shoe in the fashion world.
The shoes, which were first created for soccer, have long been spotted off the soccer pitch and on the feet of famous fashionistas. This is just one of many ways the fashion world has lovingly coopted the utilitarian pieces from other industries. (See: Timberland boots, as another example of this.) The comfort and versatility offered by Sambas make them an easy choice for on-the-go fashionistas who crave something classic and comfortable.
Nike’s Air Force 1s
Not to be outdone by Adidas, Nike’s bestselling Air Force 1’s (or, “AF1”), also have a song written about them, “Air Force Ones,” by rapper Nelly. The St. Louis artist rapped in 2002 about the infamous shoe, saying, “I like the all-white, high-top strap with the gum bottom…There’s somethin’ bout ’em, now dirty that’s why I got ’em…”
The Air Force 1 shoe was released in 1982 with the intention of being the best basketball shoe on the market. Over time, became Nike’s bestselling shoe ever.
Nike’s designer Bruce Kilgore gathered inspiration for the shoe from The Approach, an existing Nike hiking boot that was designed to help alleviate pressure on the Achilles tendons. When the shoe was released, “Nike announced that the shoes cushioned shock 30 percent better and were 20 percent more resilient than a standard shoe. Once players took them to the court, they fell in love,” according to the shoe’s history on the Nike website.
Into the 1980s, the shoe gathered steam as a popular shoe for lifestyle wear, not just sporting wear. Nike credits the shoe’s success with “impactful marketing and an even better product.”
It’s also worth noting that many AF1s are a limited edition; there was even a “Shoe of the Month” program from Nike in which AF1s were sold in limited qualities and special edition colors. Rarity drives up demand and interest, and it’s a key component of interest by “sneakerheads” (or, people who are obsessed with shoes). Additionally, Nike wisely collaborated with artists and people from the fashion world to create even more visually enchanting AF1s. Collaborations between Nike and Louis Vuitton for AF1s have led to fruitful gains for both companies––tangibly (in profits), and intangibly (in cultural recognition and elevated status).
Converse’s Chuck Taylors
There may not be a cooler and more iconic shoe than Converse’s Chuck Taylors. The special thing about Chuck Taylors––which were originally created to be worn on a basketball court––is their hugely widespread appeal and wearability. They’re perhaps the most widely worn sneaker on this list and have been seen on everyone from grungy Kurt Cobain to arty Andy Warhol to elevated fashion tastemaker Karl Lagerfeld. Even Vice President Kamala Harris could be seen wearing Chuck Taylors on the campaign trail in 2020.
They are the ultimate cool guy or cool girl shoe, and these shoes have fans in iconic arbiters of cool like Elvis Presley, James Dean, Sylvester Stallone in Rocky, and many more.
Chuck Taylors (or, “Chucks”), are a product of Converse which became a subsidiary of Nike in 2003. Not only are they the most classic shoe among the three, but Chucks are also the oldest. The “Chuck Taylor All Stars” shoe was introduced to the world over 100 years ago, in 1922. Astoundingly, the shoe’s design has remained largely unchanged since it was first introduced. The shoe is named for Charles Hollis Taylor, a basketball player from Indiana and a salesman, who was an integral part of the creation of this shoe.
In the 1980s, Chucks experienced a resurgence thanks to their foothold in popular culture, particularly in Hollywood films like The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Stand By Me, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, and The Outsiders, where famously cool characters sported the iconic one-time basketball shoe. Marty McFly of Back to the Future fame wore the shoe as he skateboarded around town and the shoe’s timelessness allowed him to more easily blend in when he went back in time.
Throughout the decades, Chucks are easily spotted on TVs and silver screens, from Dennis the Menace in the 1960s, to The Fast and Furious films of the early aughts, and into Oscar-nominated films like 2015’s Straight Outta Compton.
Chucks, AF1’s, and Sambas remain arbiters of classic and cool style. They retain their cult status thanks to a mysterious blend of a good product, plus smart marketing, plus something a bit more ephemeral: The shoes’ fans throughout the decades who select the sneaker as their own, until the next notable wearer comes along and continues the tradition of carrying the cult sneaker torch.