What Sneakers Are People Wearing To The World Cup?

I hadn’t expected to be spying on Devin Booker’s shoes. Especially in a crowd of 66,000. But here I was at the World Cup in Seattle on June 19, camera in hand like a full-fledged paparazzi stalker, trying desperately to ID his footwear. Were they his go-to low-profile Nike kicks? Or an Adidas style, which seemed the brand of choice at the game that day? No, it seemed that the Phoenix Suns guard was sporting something that resembled a classic Converse, with a black midsection and white toe box.

Since the tournament began on June 11, I’ve found myself clocking soccer fans’ footwear around Seattle. As Bustle’s Alyssa Lapid reported last month, sport culture has made its way into the fashion world of late, influencing a “blokecore” resurgence, to borrow a term from TikTok. The World Cup offers a rare opportunity to observe where those trends meet actual soccer culture.

I expected Adidas Sambas to reign supreme. Since at least 2022, fashion journalists have dubbed them the sneakers of whatever season we seem to be in, thanks in part to their “It Girl” bona fides and impressive sales figures. Last summer, other athletic shoes entered the popularity contest — like Puma Speedcats and Taekwondo sneakers — and I was curious whether the soccer community was continuing that general democratization or sticking firmly with Sambas, given their soccer origins. (They were originally developed for a German team in 1950.)

In short, are we in for another Sambas summer? According to World Cup attendees — Devin Booker included — it seems that while the striped favorites are still everywhere, other contenders are entering the fray.

The Fan Favorites

I attended the game in which the American squad bested their Australian counterparts as a guest of the U.S. Women’s National Team. The latter is counting down to the women’s World Cup next summer in Brazil, and could include my seatmates: midfielder Olivia Moultrie, who plays for the Portland Thorns, and goalkeeper Claudia Dickey, who plays for the Seattle Reign. They’re each standouts on their professional teams, but here, they blended into the crowd of red, white, and blue — plus a spattering of Australian yellow. They opted for practical footwear: Moultrie with Nike’s Travis Scott Jordan 1 Lows, and Dickey with pink Adidas Sambae, an updated take on the classic Sambas style.

I noticed more Adidas sneakers than any other brand, sure, but mostly slim, low-profile alternatives to the Sambas rather than Sambas themselves, such as Handball Spezials and Gazelles. Fans often opted for dramatic colorways, like green and yellow or anything red, white, and blue.

Krista, who drove in from Idaho with her family, opted for Adidas VL Court Bold, featuring vibrant blue and orange-red flowers. “My husband actually found them,” she says. “They’re fun and colorful and match the U.S. colors.”

Surprise Substitution

For some fans, Adidas’ brand ubiquity pushed them toward more uncommon companies and styles. Emma Ellendt, 34, wore a pair of Puma Arizona Lace, veering away from colorful contrasts. “I always gravitate toward a neutral shoe, like cream or white, [and] I have a few pairs of black shoes,” says the content creator. “They go with everything.”

Folks predominantly opted for low-profile shoes, like the Asics Skyhands or — in a delightful revival — black-and-white checkered Vans slip-ons, which felt like a throwback to the city’s ’90s grunge heyday, when anti-fashion sensibilities ran high.

Comfortable Play

The fans I spoke with repeatedly emphasized comfort. “I wanted something lightweight because I knew we were going to be walking a lot,” says Vanessa Camille, one of 23,000 people who marched to the stadium ahead of the June 19 game. The 36-year-old content creator wore a chunky pair of New Balance 1906 paired with ruffled socks. “I love my shoes. If I walk in [them] for miles on end, my feet never hurt,” she says.

The Final Whistle

I’d be remiss not to mention all the Converse high-tops I saw, often in all white, but also the red and black iterations. Which brings me back to Devin Booker. Why does it matter what celebrities are wearing? Or what shoes are trending this summer?

Sporting events have always been places where personal style becomes part of the experience. Fans dress to represent what matters to them. For some, patriotically colored sneakers might suggest national pride. For others, they might signal support for the athletes themselves. More broadly, the emphasis on comfortable, walkable shoes seemed to speak to fans’ main priorities: to gather for the love of the game, with others who love the game.