On 20 October, adidas told investors it had just finished the best quarter in its history. Revenue rose 9% to a record €7.25 billion. Operating profit jumped 37% to €1.008 billion, the highest it has ever booked in three months. A week later, on VegNonVeg, an animal-print Samba OG that lists at ₹12,999 is selling for ₹6,500. A green Gazelle Indoor is down from ₹11,999 to ₹6,000. Half price, both of them.
Those two facts look like they contradict each other. They do not. They are the same story, told once in a press release and once on a product page, and if you buy adidas Originals in India it explains what you should pay for a terrace shoe right now.
The Line in adidas's Record Results That Sneakerheads Should Read
The headline numbers come from adidas's preliminary statement, which FashionUnited summarised. Gross margin improved 2.5 points to 54.3%. Part of the jump was a one-off: adidas received most of its US tariff claims and booked a refund of around €200 million. The company raised its full-year operating profit outlook to about €2.5 billion, up from €2.3 billion, and will publish the complete third-quarter report on 29 October.
Then came the line that matters to anyone who owns a pair of Sambas. As Reuters reported, chief executive Bjørn Gulden said "the footwear lifestyle business is currently challenging, mainly due to too much inventory", along with "too much discounting in the marketplace, but we know this will soon normalise again." Reuters added that adidas has been investing in new styles "as the popularity of its Samba and Gazelle sneakers gradually fades."
Where did the growth come from, then? Football, running and training, which adidas called strong and profitable. Even the analysts were careful. Felix Dennl of Metzler told Reuters the higher forecast "mostly reflects the one-off US tariff refund", though he added that adidas still benefited from better full-price sell-through. So the terrace shoes did not drive this quarter. They held it back.
How the Terrace Shoe Got Here
None of this came out of nowhere. Back in July, after the second quarter, Gulden was already warning about it. According to Merca2.0's summary of those results, he said "the Lifestyle footwear market, especially for men, is currently under pressure", and blamed heavy discounting by many retailers, particularly in Europe. Footwear revenue grew just 1% in that quarter on a currency-neutral basis. Merca2.0 also reported that adidas called demand for its Terrace line "healthy", while its low-profile shoes, the Tokyo, Taekwondo and Japan, were picking up speed.
Look at how many Sambas exist and you can see where the inventory came from. VegNonVeg alone lists Samba OGs in Mercedes and Coca-Cola editions, alongside Samba Jane, Samba Ballet and Samba Mule versions. Hypebeast showed a "Camo Cow Print" Samba as recently as 15 October. A football shoe from 1950 has become a canvas for almost anything.
Here is our read. Nothing is wrong with the Samba itself. The problem is that it turned up everywhere, in every print and every collab, and once a shoe exists in that many versions, none of them feel special. Leftovers pile up. Then they go on sale.
Samba Price in India Right Now, and Where the Sale Is
On 27 October we scrolled through VegNonVeg's Samba and Gazelle search results. Clear pattern. Most core Samba OGs in black, white and green were at ₹10,999 with no discount, and a few special makeups sat higher. Samba Janes ran from ₹9,999 to ₹10,999. The Mercedes Samba stayed at ₹12,999. Not one of them had a sale price.
The discounts were on the loud pairs. The Samba OG KI6669 in Crystal Linen/Ivory Gum, a hair-on animal print, dropped from ₹12,999 to ₹6,500. The Gazelle Indoor in Green/Better Scarlet/Collegiate Green fell from ₹11,999 to ₹6,000. Both are exactly 50% off.
That split matches what Gulden described. Excess stock does not sit in the plain black Samba that people buy every month. It sits in the statement colourways made for a peak that has already passed.
India's own relationship with the shoe is still strong, though. In August, Superkicks and adidas Originals released the Samba "Heirloom", inspired by the peti, the handcrafted trunk Indian families use to keep heirlooms. Hypebeast listed it at Concepts, atmos and other global stores. An Indian boutique putting its name on a Samba in 2026 tells you the shoe has moved from trend to staple here, not to the bargain bin.
What to Actually Buy Right Now
If you want one Samba to wear for five years, buy the core black or white Samba OG at ₹10,999 and stop waiting for a sale on it. It is not discounted because it is not excess. That may change if the clearance spreads, but we would not bet a winter of wear on it.
If you like loud shoes, this is your moment. At ₹6,500, the animal-print Samba costs less than a Samba Jane at ₹9,999. The ₹6,000 Gazelle Indoor is the best-value pair in our whole search. Just buy them to wear, never to flip. If you are curious why, our piece on the 2026 resale crash explains it.
And if you want to get ahead of what replaces the terrace shoe, watch the low-profile racers. Merca2.0's read of the July results had the Taekwondo and Tokyo gaining, and Puma is chasing the same look, as we covered in our Speedcat low-profile trend piece.
Our Verdict
The Samba is not dying. It is cooling into a basic, the way every hype shoe eventually does. Gulden says the market will normalise soon. We believe him for the core pairs. For the novelty prints, expect more sales before that happens.
Styling is where the Samba still wins. A white Samba with straight trousers and a short kurta works for a Diwali card party. A black pair with wide-leg denim works everywhere else. The shoe is fine. The overproduction was the problem.
Record profit, half-price Sambas. Both are true, and the smart buyer uses both. If you want adidas without guessing what is authentic, see the adidas pairs we have in stock.
First Samba? Start with our Samba price guide for India, which is about buying an authentic pair. Then read the Handball Spezial loafer piece, because that is where adidas is taking the terrace look next.
