It’s been a tumultuous year for the Adidas Samba. Once beloved for its democratic, neutral look, the classic three-stripe sneaker reached an irrevocable moment of mainstreaming when Rishi Sunak was photographed doing this while unsuccessfully campaigning to be seen as a man of the people. Things have been increasingly quiet for both Sunak and his shoe since.
Chequerboard Vans, puffed-up skate shoes and fashion cleats have already arrived in its place, but no shoe has come closer to usurping its crown than the Puma Speedcat. Its silhouette is lean, almost balletic in line, and built from the fireproof sneakers worn by Formula 1 Drivers in the 1980s. It anchored Priya Ahluwalia, Mains, and Feben’s spring/summer 2025 collections at London Fashion Week and this weekend appeared on Jennifer Lawrence, who is a professional bellwether for shoe trends. She wore them in black with an outsized boyfriend shirt and wide-legged pants, with Phoebe Philo’s Score sunglasses and Gig bag.
EmRata, meanwhile, wears hers with vintage John Galliano skirts, Rihanna with hirsute Bottega Veneta stoles, and Dua Lipa with transparent Shushu/Tong tops and Celine jeans. “The Speedcat is a trainer I’ve always loved from the archives,” says Ahluwalia. “Even when I saw the silhouette in its traditional racing setting I always thought that it would be such a good silhouette to wear in general, so I’m very glad that it’s back in rotation in a wider context.”