Don’t be fooled by her stiletto-clad step-and-repeats: Issa Rae is a sneakerhead at heart. Unlike Puma ballet sneaker loyalist Rihanna, Rae bounces from one brand to another. Currently, she’s in her Adidas era.
On Sept. 4, the Insecure actor arrived at The Drew Barrymore Show in Sambas straight out of Sophie Turner’s closet. She chose the classic Cloud White/Core Black colorway, featuring stark white uppers, black stripes, and tinted gum soles. Gray suede toe boxes gave away their Sambas status.
The nostalgic, ’70s-era shoes are more low-profile than other chunky models in her collection. In the 2010s, Rae was known to street style-ify a running shoe. This time, they were the perfect pick to elevate her groutfit, made up of an acid-wash T-shirt and matching jeans. Each oversize leg flared out at the sides, giving her denim a barreled appearance.
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Issa Rae gave the Adidas Sambas renaissance her stamp of approval.
(Image credit: Backgrid)
Rae’s purse took her pre-interview outfit to four-figure status. She chose the top-handle Mayfair bag from Aspinal of London, which retails for $1,110. Though it’s available in pink, blue, brown, and ivory, Rae chose the noir croc-embossed version. Even the buckle closure and chainlink strap were matte black. She detached the crossbody, carrying it from the built-in strap.
Aspinal of London
Mayfair Top-Handle Bag
Rae’s latest look comes on the heels of a sneaker-heavy summer. She spent most of the season trekking through London in Converse high-tops. Her black-and-white All-Star 70s hail from a 2018 collection with Fear of God Essentials. Similar to her latest look, they matched the rest of her off-duty separates, including an oversize hoodie and cargo pants.
Back in June, Issa’s Converse sneakers joined her in London.
(Image credit: @issarae)
Converse
Chuck Taylor All Star High-Top Sneaker
Adidas Sambas were the It sneaker of summer 2022, but unlike other trends, they’ve remained a celebrity staple since. This summer alone, Turner, Olivia Rodrigo, Zoë Kravitz, and Anne Hathaway dug them out of storage. Thanks to Rae, Samba season is staying strong this fall, too.
