Adidas Samba 2019 - 2015 Review by The Good Ride

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After 2017 the Adidas Samba became a very recommendable mellow response boot and for 2018 it got a little better.  It’s got the most skate like feel out of all of the Adidas line. The 2019 Adidas Samba is the same boot as the 2018 model. Both are best if you buy 1/2 size down from your normal shoe size.  For example, I’m a size 9 on the scale but the 2018-2019 model fits me best in an 8.5.  The same works for our crew in other sizes too and the size down 1/2 size rule works pretty well.

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Size Tried: 9 and 8.5
Days: 6+
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10” 185-195lbs), Jimbo (Size 11, 5’11” 160lbs) and Jack
Insoles: Footprint Insole Technology Gamechangers, Footprint Insole Technology Gameghangers Low Profile, Sandsole Custom Insoles
Bindings: Bindings:  Union Superpro, Burton Genesis, Union Contact, Union Contact Pro
Boards: OZ Custom Woody, Yes Basic, Yes Typo, Salomon Assasin, Yes Jackpot,  Never Summer Funslinger

James’ Foot Specs
Foot Size: Right 9 and Left 8.75
Foot Width: Right and Left between a D/E
Arch Length: Right 9.5 and Left 9
Calves (Widest Point): 17”
Calves (At top of boot): 12”

Fit: The 2017 Adidas Samba fit pretty well in a size 9 and only felt maybe 1/4 size too large on me but the 2018-2019 Adidas Samba fits much better for me in an 8.5.  The same goes for the rest of the sizing around the world except for UK sizing which seems to fit true.  It also runs as wide as some wide boots and is great for people with wider feet.

Flex: When tightened up well there is a pretty mid-level flex that is just right to work with most boards out there. When loosened a bit it’s got a nice med/soft flex that would work well in the park.

Flex Retention: So we love the articulation tech in the ankle here that really works well.  It’s going to hold it’s flex for a while

Comfort: The Adidas Samba is pretty comfortable but I do feel a pressure point on the top of the foot where the tongue meets the boot when I flex forward. I think it will break in but it’s a slight concern. Everything else about the boot works fine and I don’t feel any pressure anywhere else.  There is lots of room for my toes to move and flex so it will not feel like I’m in a cast. The 2018-2019 Adidas Samba feels even better than the 2017 model.

Heel Hold: The fuzzy liner holds the ankle well enough but I can feel it slide up.  I’d like to see the other liner Adidas uses to put in the Samba and then it should hold a lot better.  Still, it’s not that bad for my foot.  I don’t think it will affect the way I ride and I personally feel people tend to freak out too much when it comes to heel hold. I’d rather have circulation in my feet and room to flex it than no heel lift.

Adjustability: Traditional lace boots are very good when it comes to dialing out your boots for your feet and are very underrated.

Response: It’s a very mellow skate like response going on here that doesn’t really want to smack a boards edge back and forth quickly.

Traction:  Very good traction because of the rubber.  It’s not ideal for hiking but it’s great in hard to icy parking lot ice or in lift lines on hard days.

Shock Absorption:  It’s got that minimal shock absorption skate-like feel and out of all the boots in the Adidas line this feels the most like a skate shoe. It’s the exact opposite compared to the Energy Boost boots on the upper end of the line.

Reduced Footprint: The footprint on the Samba is exceptional and from what I have seen so far it’s at the top of the industry.  Take a look at the comparison between the Samba and the Burton Almighty.  Burton uses to be the best when it came to reduced footprint tech so it’s pretty impressive to see the Samba fit just like Burton on the inside but be that much smaller on the outside.  This size 9 is approximately 1/2″ to 3/4″ of an inch smaller in overall length which is very impressive.  it’s a great boot to choose if you are on the border between a regular board and a mid/wide but want to fit in a regular board that appeals to you. The one thing we noticed is as you get into larger sizes there isn’t as much of a difference between the footprint when it comes to companies like Ride, Thirty Two and Burton. Adidas is still a little smaller but not as small as you will see in this pic with a size 9 comparison of the 2017 model.

On & Off Ease: It’s got an easy slide in and out and the laces aren’t that hard to get on/off.  It’s only a little slower than BOA and speed lace.