The Adidas Samba trainer was declared dead in the water this week, after the prime minister, Rishi Sunak, was pictured wearing a pair. While observers pointed out the moral backwardness of cancelling a shoe based on an outing on a politician’s feet rather than longstanding evidence of workers in the sportswear giant’s supply chain being mistreated, the internet is suddenly full of people searching for their next step.
Sunak has since issued a “fulsome apology” and the Samba has seen continued popularity on online marketplaces such as StockX, with the ever-popular adidas x Wales Bonner Samba currently being traded at a 327% price premium. But, for many, the damage is done.
