The Adidas Samba‘s journey will continue to tread new ground heading into summer with a new construction inspired by woven sandals.

The Adidas Samba Mule cuts off the classic sneaker’s heel and ups its breathability by rendering its base out of woven leather. A suede T-toe remains unvarnished from its usual build and matches the cream color used throughout the rest of the upper. A lighter gum cupsole likewise keeps the familiar shape, while the gold Samba branding now appears in script rather than its usual sans-serif font.

New builds such as this one have helped the Samba continue its hot streak after the core model peaked in popularity around 2023 to 2024. More recent years have seen the nearly 80-year-old sneaker become a lugged dress shoe, take on crepe soles, add a zippered shroud with Jeremy Scott and adopt a variety of materials and patterns including animal prints and bedazzled jewels.

Speaking to Footwear News for a story on another Adidas hit, the Evo SL, Powell, senior adviser at BCE consulting and a longtime athletic expert, pointed to the Samba’s diversification as a model to follow: “The core shoe doesn’t have nearly the same heat, but the mary janes, sneakerinas, floral materials, animal hides and all that — that’s what’s kept the Samba live. If you do other variations, you give a person a reason to put a second one in their closet, not because it’s pink.”

Also helping this Samba’s case is the enduring popularity of mules, which has crossed over into sneaker-hybrids with entries counting Nike Shox, the New Balance 2002R and new Jordan Brand model among many others.

The Adidas Samba Mule in “Crew White” doesn’t yet have a release date or price confirmed but is expected to release during the summer fashion season.