Chinese designer and Yeezy alum Dingyun Zhang is taking on the Samba for his first-ever Adidas collaboration.
The Dingyun Zhang x Adidas Samba comes murdered out with a new material makeup and shifts to some of its paneling. Patent leather forms the base of the all-black sneaker and provides a stark contrast to the suede toe box and eyestay. A puffed-up collar inspired by aughts skateboarding shoes then wraps above the heel with more ripples than usual, while the tongue has been slightly shortened and custom arrangement of perforations appears on the striping for breathability.
“As a designer I’m dedicated to creating newness, from scratch. Picking materials, sifting through past versions of the Samba, spending time measuring out the exact placement of each design feature: this shoe is all about demonstrating that highly conceptual ideas can be stretched into an all-new physical silhouette,” Zhang said in a press release. “Bypassing obstacles; the more you challenge yourself, the more you think outside the box and push the boundaries of what’s possible.”
Zhang chose the all-black look to invoke the time in school when he needed to black-out his own Sambas in order to confirm with dress codes, and he spent time in Adidas’ archives in both Beijing and Herzogenaurach, Germany looking for source material, which would include the Predator Absolute cleat from 2006.
Prior to his graduating from the Central Saint Martins university in 2020, Zhang had already begun working with Yeezy and helped design the esteemed Boost 700 “Wave Runner” along with the veteran Steven Smith.
The Dingyun Znag x Adidas Samba will release May 10 through the Confirmed app and select third-party retailers. Pricing is set at $250.
About the Author:
Ian Servantes is a Senior Trending News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.
