Mary-Kate Olsen's Adidas Sambae Sneakers and Luxury Bag Make an Unlikely It-Girl Pairing
She makes it work.
The buzziest celebrity trend this week is dressing up sneakers with a rare designer handbag. Bella Hadid coordinated Nike Shox TL sneakers to a quilted Chanel tote; Simone Biles's Nike Zoom Vomeros looked luxe with a Hermès Kelly; Mary-Kate Olsen styled Adidas Sambae sneakers and a mysterious The Row bag in the same February 19 outfit.
One of these It girls is not like the other. The Olsen twin rarely graces New York City's sidewalks with her The Row-clad presence. But five months after her latest public sighting—with Kendall Jenner in West Hollywood—Olsen stepped out in an elongated, black velvet coat topped with a paisley scarf and shield sunglasses. Black, wide-leg trousers, a day and nighttime staple for both Mary-Kate and Ashley, followed underneath.
The brands behind Olsen's coat, scarf, and even shades remained a mystery at publication time. Still fashion editors ID'd her Adidas Sambae sneakers with ease.
Mary-Kate Olsen was impossible to miss in NYC, wearing Adidas sneakers and a The Row bag.
Mary-Kate is the bigger sneakerhead of the two Olsen twins. She's been an Adidas Sambas girl since their initial circa-2022 comeback, but her latest pair seems to be the Samba-adjacent Sambaes. The black, low-profile pair mirrored the slim, leather uppers of classic style, down to the white stripe trios atop each sidewall. The leading difference? 0.75"-high gumsoles traded places with pumped-up, 1.25" platform treads. The color of each sole, on the other hand, was almost identical to the black Sambas on Jennifer Lawrence and Katie Holmes's shoe racks.
Pairing $110 sneakers with a The Row collector's item is just another Thursday for Olsen. Her burgundy take on the bowling bag trend looked like it could have The Row tags—when isn't an Olsen carrying her own designs? However, an in with the twins-turned-creative directors is the only way to confirm its exact model.
From afar, the bag features the same arched closure as the tricky-to-track-down Margaux, minus each gusset's inset belt buckles. Glossy crocodile leather decorated every nook and cranny, similar to Lawrence's $33,000 The Row Lady Bag.
There's a chance it's a custom recreation of the $4,100 Agnes 12 purse, judging by its slightly slouchy center and double top handles. On Feb. 18, Who What Wear reported it was back in stock, but it didn't last long. Every shade sold out in less than 24 hours. The Row's India will have to do for anyone on the handbag hunt.
The average New Yorker may view The Row's handbags as special-occasion-only styles. But for Olsen, Adidas Sambae sneakers and The Row purses go together like peanut butter and jelly. It's one of her signature not-so matching sets. In Oct. 2022, she paired the same nameless top-handle tote with original Adidas Sambas.
While you aren't able to shop her exact The Row purse, there's a lesson to be learned here: Don't save your investment pieces for a "fancier" occasion. Running errands is as good an excuse as any to take your four-figure bag for a spin.
Shop Adidas Sneakers and Handbags Inspired by Mary-Kate Olsen
