British Prime Minister has issued a “fulsome apology” to Adidas Samba wearers after being accused of “killing off” the popular style.
Rishi Sunak was pictured sporting the gum-soled trainers in an Instagram video to promote his tax policies last week.
He paired the box fresh shoes with suit trousers and a white shirt, prompting fashionistas to declare the sneaker style well and truly “dead”.
“I issue a fulsome apology to the Samba community,” Mr Sunak told an LBC phone-in on Wednesday.
But he added that he had been wearing Sambas for “many many years”.
“In my defence I would say I have been wearing Adidas trainers and Sambas and others for many, many years.
“The first pair my brother got for me many, many years ago. Those were my first pair of fun Adidas trainers as a Christmas present.
“I haven’t looked back since.”
The Samba was first launched as a men’s football shoe in 1972 with the brand’s iconic three-stripe down the side.
Sales exploded in 2022, according to shopping platform Lyst, and searches for the trainers rose a whopping 350 per cent that year after going viral on social media.
During his phone-in Mr Sunak also took questions on the sexting scandal which has engulfed Westminster.
The PM defended his response to Tory MP William Wragg’s admission that he shared colleagues’ personal numbers with a suspected scammer he met on dating app Grindr.
He claimed “there are wider things happening” and “lots of bad actors that we’re seeing around the world” saying the revelations were “a reminder about the importance” of people in public life taking care with unsolicited messages.
Mr Wragg “voluntarily” gave up the Conservative whip on Tuesday.
“There are wider things happening and he rightly apologised for what happened,” Mr Sunak said.
Asked why he had waited for Mr Wragg to voluntarily give up the Tory whip rather than removing it himself, he said: “There’s a police investigation that’s happening it’s important that we work through these things in due time.”
