• Price: £220 / €280
• Flex: 5
• Sizes: UK 6-12
• Lacing System: Classic Lace
• adidas.com/snowboarding

Much of the iconic style has carried over, but in some respects the adidas Samba has had a bit of a makeover since last winter. However, we expect this perennially-popular snowboard boot to continue selling like hot cakes.

“That medium flex lets you channel a Brazilian beach footballer as you get spontaneous on park features”

The cuff and tongue have been re-designed to offer up improved, longer-lasting flex, which is good news for dedicated park rats who really put the hours in. That medium flex lets you channel a Brazilian beach footballer as you get spontaneous on the features, and the mouldable liner ensures you’ll always have the perfect fit.

If you’re hiking a handrail, the grippy sole (a collaboration with Continental tyres) will prevent you from banana-skinning on the stairs, and an internal harness prevents you from having to re-tighten your boots midway through a session. There’s also a grippy rubber backstay to keep your boot secure in the binding from first lifts to last.

As for aesthetics, the adidas Samba now boasts a suede-style panel over the toe area, but as you’d expect it’s got the same classic lace look with three-stripe-with-gold-lettering design. That’s not something we expect will ever change, frankly – would it even still be the Samba if it did?

So some changes, then, but it’s minor tweaks to what was already a modern classic.