Trending or Timeless: Samba Edition

When it comes to building a style, people may identify with certain aesthetics or historical periods, or like most, they can just follow trends. Trends, in fashion, are certain pieces or styles that become extremely popular very quickly, to then later be deemed “outdated”. The real question is: what current trends are going to last, and which ones will be forgotten by the end of the year?

In 2023, the Samba shoe by Adidas reached its peak popularity, with many considering it the new “it-girl” shoe. Constrastingly, others complained they look like bowling shoes and should never be worn in public. Regardless, its popularity skyrocketed, with Instagram feeds and TikTok For You Pages being dominated by the Samba shoe. This only pushed more consumers to make the impending purchase. In fact, I am a proud victim of this trending shoe. The brightly colored Samba adds the perfect pop to a minimalist outfit. All you need is the gorgeous pink and green pair, and BOOM, a low-effort outfit that was once called “basic” is now considered cool. 

However, when it comes down to determining if sambas are timeless or a trend, I would have to argue that they are just a trend. As much as I love sambas, their popularity spiked too high, too quick. In 2024 there was a drop in Samba admiration, although it hasn’t disappeared quite yet. Nevertheless, like all trending pieces, it will quickly burn out and society will move on to the next ‘it-girl’ shoe, leaving only the loyal Samba buyers to re-purchase. 

Written by: Sage Jarmosco