Brain Dead and adidas are bringing the Samba Bowling back into focus for 2026, revisiting a shoe that dates to the earliest stage of their partnership. Before the collaboration reached the public, the two brands created a friends-and-family bowling shoe that later helped shape the direction of their work together. A Dover Street Market-exclusive version followed in 2025.

The upcoming release includes two animal-inspired colorways built on the platformed Samba Bowling silhouette. The “Cheetah” pair uses a black and orange print similar to the version that first drew attention to the model, while the “Snakeskin” edition arrives in green and tan.

A thicker sole gives the shoe more height than a standard Samba, but the familiar terrace shape remains intact. The bold uppers do most of the visual work, giving each pair a different look without pushing the design too far from the original model.

Retailer listings have the Brain Dead x adidas Samba Bowling “Cheetah” and “Snakeskin” releasing on August 1, 2026. We haven’t seen either release date announced by the brands themselves yet so more info could surface.

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