Hype Meter: adidas Special Edition Samba Spikeless Golf Shoes

You’ve heard about them, maybe seen them too. Everyday products are being hyped in your Twitter and Instagram feeds. They’re sometimes endorsed by pros, celebrities, and influencers alike. But do they live up to the hype? We take a closer look.

What Are Golfers Talking About?

We know how well adidas golf shoes have tested over the years but does the Samba line live up to the Tour360 reputation?

For those adidas Samba fanatics who really don’t care if they perform well should just scroll down and hit that BUY NOW button.

Those who care about performance should keep reading.

Product Expert

Hi, I’m Harry and I am a professional golf shoe tester. (Yes, they exist.) I actually test a lot of things at MyGolfSpy and play professionally when I’m not checking and comparing specs on gloves, rangefinders, bags, ball retrievers, etc. You can call me the Director of Soft Goods Testing here at MGS. You can also just call me Harry. That’s fine, too.

Why the Hype?

Simple: adidas Samba! The Samba has been around since adidas was founded, it seems. In its early years, the adidas Samba shoes were worn as an indoor soccer shoe. Its casual yet stylish look makes it versatile for smart casual attire, sporting venues, casual wear … the list goes on. Plus they have been worn by some famous people like Jonah Hill, Kendall Jenner and Frank Ocean.

Since the first drop of Sambas, they have been a hit. So when any limited-edition versions of these shoe hit the market, you will be lucky to get your mitts on a pair. It’s that simple. They really sell themselves.

The real question today is how do the new adidas Sambas perform when put through the rigorous Most Wanted Golf Shoe protocol?

Where The Hype is Coming From?

adidas has a cult-like following—in a good way, of course. The Samba is one line that helped adidas grow to the size it is today. If you like it, you live by it. adidas diehards are ready to buy almost anything they put out.

Assessing the adidas Samba Spikeless Golf Shoe Hype

Let’s break down the men’s golf shoe market quickly. There are spiked and spikeless. Typically to be categorized as a spiked shoe, the spikes have to be removable. A spikeless shoe doesn’t have removable spikes, the studs are traditionally rubber and cover the entire sole of the shoe. The adidas Samba golf shoe definitely falls into the spikeless category. A golf sneaker, if you will.

In recent years, we’ve seen the spikeless category start to split from a strictly golf look to a lifestyle look. The adidas Sambas fall solidly into the lifestyle category. They’re essentially a casual shoe with some rubber spikes on the bottom.

After running the adidas Samba through the Most Wanted shoe protocol, it would have fallen in the middle of the pack. The comfort level was fine and will break in over time. Its traction is, again, just OK. What I liked was its style but that’s because I grew up wearing Sambas for soccer. Other than that, the adidas Sambas were middle of the pack for stability, traction and comfort. Where you might get into trouble is the elements aspect. Its suede material attracts dirt.

That said, adidas has made a classic look young and fun for the golf course. I would wear them for casual rounds but never for tournament play.

Do They Live Up To the Hype?

The Bottom Line

I understand these aren’t designed to win the Most Wanted seal of approval but those who want to have a few beers on the course and look good doing so should grab these. Those who want performance should stick to the Tour360 or FootJoy Tour Alphas spiked shoes.

If we’re basing the Samba on performance, it’s middle of the road at best. However, I don’t believe their target audience cares about performance. It’s all about the heritage and style of the shoe for them. With that in mind, I would say it’s up there on the Hype Meter.

What do you think about the Special Edition Samba Golf Shoe? Do you love it or hate it?