Look down and check what you’re wearing on your feet. If it’s a pair of Adidas Sambas, I’m afraid you need to take them off immediately and never wear them again. Sorry. I don’t make the rules. Blame our beleaguered leader. In an Instagram video last Thursday, Rishi Sunak wore Sambas during a Downing Street interview to promote his tax policies. The doomed prime minister went for a white pair with navy stripes, teamed with skinny slacks and a tailored white shirt. Listen carefully and you could hear the death knell tolling for the trainer du jour.
The ubiquitous gum-soled, trio-striped trainers are beloved by everyone from rappers to supermodels. They’ve been hailed as “this year’s It-footwear”, “the official shoe of the season”, “the defining sneaker of our age”. They’re what Converse All Stars were in the 00s or Stan Smiths in the 2010s. A retro casual classic. An archival pub shoe that works almost anywhere.
