Will Salomons Replace Sambas as Fashion’s Favourite Sneaker?
Move over, Adidas Sambas.
Living in the global fashion hub that is New York City, I see the ubiquitous Adidas Sambas everywhere, all the time. But amidst a sea of these beloved flat-soled sneakers, I’ve been noticing Salomons on the city’s best dressed more and more. It appears this chunkier, more eclectic alternative might just dethrone what has become fashion’s favourite sneaker for the past couple of years.
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Originally designed for hiking and trail running, the French footwear brand’s outdoorsy shoes have quietly become an everyday favourite amongst style stars who previously helped Sambas skyrocket in popularity. Over the past few years, influencers and A-listers like Emily Ratajowski, Hailey Bieber, Kylie Jenner, and Bella Hadid have all been seen wearing them. The sporty shoes have even become fodder for Instagram moodboard accounts like Salmonology, which has amassed 129,000 followers since launching in 2020. And recently during Fashion Month in February, Salomon’s were once again in the spotlight. The brand’s best-selling XT-6 style was spotted on numerous London and Copenhagen Fashion Week attendees. Sandy Liang even revived her sold-out Salomon collaboration stateside via a feminine, ballet-inspired take on the label’s RX Moc 3.0 slip-ons.
The chunky sneaker trend can arguably be traced back to 2019, when Rihanna sported a pair of XT-6s on her Instagram. Then, in February 2023, the singer propelled the brand to cult status after sporting a pair of MM6 Maison Margiela x Salomon Cross Lows during her Super Bowl performance. According to Business of Fashion, Google searches for the style surged by 4,000 percent overnight.
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Rihanna performing at the 2023 Super Bowl.
Just a month earlier, Salomon was named the fastest growing sneaker brand on streetwear resale platform StockX—thanks to its increasing celebrity endorsements, buzzy designer collaborations, and a booming post-Covid demand for outdoor gear.
Fast forward to 2024, and the Salomon sneaker take over shows no signs of slowing down. With eye-catching colours and subtle technical details like grippy soles and drawstring closures, they’re right in line with this year’s burgeoning “quiet outdoor” trend. (And yes, if you’re unfamiliar, that’s an aesthetic mashup between the adventure-driven gorpcore and elevated quiet luxury.) These sleek performance sneakers strike the perfect balance of being bold yet not overly flashy. They are very IYKYK but not unattainable. In fact, they’re surprisingly versatile, whether styled with casual biker shorts and an oversized sweater à la Hailey Bieber or a tailored set à la street style mavens.
An attendee of Copenhagen Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2024.
While not quite as affordable as the Sambas, most silhouettes from the brand’s coveted Sportstyle line top out at a reasonable $220—which is still hundreds less than most of fashion’s favourite “it” shoes. Popular models like the XT-6 are currently low in stock, so grab your favourites ASAP before everyone else catches on and we experience something similar to the great Samba sell-out of the past couple of years.
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XT-6, about $254, Salomon at Mr Porter
XT-4 OG, $212, Salomon at Farfetch
SPEEDCROSS 3, $155, Salomon at Farfetch
RX Moc 3.0, about $132, Salomon at Mr Porter
XT-6 Skyline, $248, Salomon at Kapok
Slip-On Platform Sneakers, about $598.30, Comme Des Garçons x Salomon at Ssense
This article originally appeared in Harper’s BAZAAR US.