adidas Velosamba Made With Nature 'Charcoal Spark'
Colorway: Charcoal/Cloud White/Spark · Style code: IG5947 · Release date: February 2024 · Price: $127 · Availability: Available now
More colorways: Adidas Velosamba Made With Nature 'Silver Green' (IH5211) · adidas Velosamba Made With Nature 'Black White' (IE0232) · adidas Velosamba Made With Nature 'White Black' (IE0231) · adidas Velosamba Made With Nature 'Cloud White Black' (IE7024) · Adidas Velosamba Made With Nature 'White Lucid Blue Scarlet' (IE0230)
adidas had been out of cycling footwear for about fifteen years when it returned in late 2020 with a road shoe, and followed a few months later, in March 2021, with the Velosamba. The idea was narrower than racing: commuters and city riders who clip in but also walk around once they arrive, and who did not want a rigid road shoe on their feet for the rest of the day.
So the Samba was rebuilt rather than restyled. A recycled nylon insole board stiffens the sole so power transfers into the pedal instead of flexing away, and the rubber cup outsole is drilled for a two-bolt cleat pattern, recessed enough that the shoe still walks normally. Reflective striping was added for road visibility, and the lace closure and the low, flat proportions stayed. The first run covered four colours at 100 pounds, and the line has expanded since; this charcoal pair, with cloud white stripes and spark orange accents, comes from that later run.