In keeping with tradition, footwear companies are preparing to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year by launching limited-edition collections inspired by the zodiac animal and cultural symbols of the upcoming year. In Chinese culture, 2025 celebrates the Year of the Snake. To honor the serpent, adidas has put together a special edition of its popular Samba model that’s sure to have collectors eagerly awaiting its release.
At first glance, the sneaker looks like a basic variation of the Samba with an average color scheme, a gum sole and a grey suede toe cap. But upon closer inspection, there’s a lot of intricate details that make the sneaker unique. For example, the black Three Stripes logo has a scaly snakeskin finish to it, and the grey between the stripes features an interlocking woven pattern that could easily go unmissed from afar. The same woven pattern is seen again around the heel, this time standing out a little more in a dark red textile material. The Year of the Snake theme is extended further onto the white leather tongue, where again a tonal snakeskin print is seen, and onto the insoles with a colorful geometric snake graphic. Finally, the most notable detail of them all, a Chinese character is embroidered on the outer ankle.
An exact release date for the Adidas Samba “Year of the Snake” hasn’t been revealed yet, but they should be hitting the market within the make couple months as the Chinese Lunar New Year begins January 29th, 2025.
