admin Though they came and went in a flash, the silver sneakers Wales Bonner cooked up with Adidas were pretty hard to miss. If the social media frenzy leading up to their release didn’t clue you in, the sneaker forum buzz made it clear—they were gonna sell out faster than you can say ‘Samba anxiety’.
Those chromed-out kicks, though, were just one silhouette from a very sick collaborative capsule that included several other Adidas kicks—namely, the underhyped SL-72, a throwback running shoe that originally debuted in 1972. Perhaps the futuristic gleam of the silver Sambas left buyers a bit blind to the retro dazzle of the SL-72, because months after the capsule hit stores, the sneaker still isn’t receiving the flowers it deserves.
It’s thoroughly befuddling to us that these sneakers are a) still in stock several months after their release, and b) available in full run of sizes, to boot. Was the power couple simply overly ambitious about the number of sneakers they produced? Likely not—the collaborative SL-72s have been curiously scarce on the stylish streets of New York City.
And yet, the few pairs I have spotted in the wild have always been attached to people with amazing style, the kind of folks who know what’s up and could care less everyone else doesn’t. They’re confident enough to ignore the nagging little voice in the back of your head that fills you with doubt when you see sneakers like these sitting unloved on the digital shelves. Why are they still in stock? Are they not cool?! Is there something I’m missing here?!?
No, you’re not missing anything: these sneakers are, indeed, very cool. In fact, they’re even better-looking IRL. The throwback colors sync up masterfully with the retro runner silhouette, and the leather accents and crocheted details are the proverbial cherry on top.
The emerald-green-and-light-tan combo will add a proper dash of spice to your jeans and white tees—or turn up the heat on a capital-F Fashion fit. The more subdued chocolate-and-red-chili combo will stroll with you straight into autumn, punching up your corduroy-clad looks with panache. And while the rest of the world is busy admiring their reflections in those shiny Sambas, you’ll be striding toward the style hall of fame in slept-on shoes that everyone else wishes they’d copped sooner.
