Hey, sports fans. How are you feeling after yesterday? The final Wimbledon match and the FIFA World Cup fell on the same day, forcing viewers to switch back and forth between the tennis and football channels. Both events were nail-bitingly energetic, but the one thing FIFA had over Wimbledon? A halftime performance from Doja Cat and an innovative take on the Adidas Samba.
At usual halftime shows, the performer takes center stage on the field. But when Chelsea F.C. and Paris Saint-Germain's game paused, Doja appeared hundreds of feet in the air inside New Jersey's MetLife Stadium. Even from a distance, the Grammy winner's fashion-forward footwear stole the show. With help from Doja's stylist, Brett Alan Nelson, Adidas took their signature Sambas back to the drawing board, creating a sneaker-stiletto hybrid for her mid-air performance.
Instead of the Sambas' signature round uppers and gum-sole heels, the "Say So" singer sported pointy toes and slingbacks, alongside ankle straps and short kitten heels suitable for dancing. The reimagined white sneakers were just as slim as the Sambas in your closet, complete with triple red stripes along each sidewall. Doja paired them with knee-high Adidas socks to match her backup dancers.
As a leading sponsor of the FIFA World Cup, Adidas provided the halftime performer with her entire ensemble, not just her dancing heels. Doja's custom micro-mini dress remixed the traditional football jersey, with stripes created from thousands of red and purple Swarovski crystals. Her upcoming album title, Vie, was printed across her chest instead of a team logo. To finish, Adidas's triple stripes cascaded down the dress's sides, just like her stiletto Sambas.
Doja Cat has yet to publicly give regular Sambas a go, however, the retro-inspired sneakers are still dominating the style scene. In the wardrobes of Sophie Turner, Anne Hathaway, Olivia Rodrigo, Dakota Johnson, and Hailey Bieber (to name a few), the Sambas streak is continuing for the third straight year.
It's unclear whether Adidas will release the sneaker-stilettos that Doja Cat wore onstage. If sneakerheads make enough online chatter, it might just happen.
