LONDON — Rishi Sunak officially put his foot in it.
The U.K. prime minister on Wednesday issued a groveling apology to Adidas Samba wearers around the world after being accused of ruining the sneaker brand for everyone.
Sunak was spotted wearing the shoes in an Instagram interview last week as he tried to promote government tax cuts — sparking an online backlash from style-conscious types aghast that he’d paired them with suit trousers and a white shirt.
Speaking to LBC Radio Wednesday, Sunak took the criticism on the chin. “In my defense, I would say I have been wearing Adidas trainers and Sambas and others in fact for many, many years,” he offered.
But he said: “I offer a fulsome apology to the Samba community.”
Fashionistas declared the brand tarnished after Sunak joined the trend. GQ magazine offered a scathing take: “In a bid to present himself as young and hip … Sunak took an eternally cool sneaker, and ruined it for everyone.”
Even former Scottish Conservative Leader Ruth Davidson tweeted: “Holy sh*tbiscuits. I support the PM, but there is a limit.”
“The first pair my brother got for me many, many years ago … as a Christmas present,” Sunak explained Wednesday. “I haven’t looked back since so I’ve been a long time devotee.
It’s not the first time Sunak has come under fire for his fashion. In 2021, the then-chancellor donned a pair of Palm Angels pool sliders — priced at £95. The PM declared Wednesday that he was “intrigued and amused by the amount of focus on what I’m wearing.”
But perhaps he should have seen it coming. Foreign Secretary David Cameron was similarly torn apart as leader of the opposition in 2006 for wearing velcro Converse sneakers.
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