adidas spent 2026 taking its most famous sneakers apart, and women are buying the results. Four of the ten best women’s sneakers on Novelship in October 2026 are reworked adidas classics: the Samba lost its heel at #3, the Superstar became a ballet flat with JENNIE at #4 and #5, and the Samba Jane closes the list at #10 in brown.
At the top, a Nike split-toe runner from 1996 takes #1 after a leather-and-buckles makeover. Around it sit two Sabrina 3 basketball shoes, a Puma racing shoe with a hidden heel wedge and a chunky early-2000s-style runner. Here are the ten women’s sneakers leading Novelship this October, in chart order.
1. Nike Air Rift 'Buckle Strap'
Key Features: The Nike Air Rift ‘Buckle Strap’ is the Air Rift in its smartest outfit. Nike’s split-toe runner dates to 1996 and grew out of input from barefoot long-distance runners in Kenya; the name nods to the Great Rift Valley. This version replaces the usual nylon fastenings with three buckled leather straps (two across the forefoot, one at the heel) over smooth black leather with scalloped panel edges and an elastic liner. A pink and yellow cherry blossom charm finishes it off. Nike Air cushioning still sits in the heel. Style code IB8881-001.
Why It’s Trending: Split toes and hardware are a fashion-world look, and the obvious reference is Maison Margiela’s Tabi, which debuted in 1988 and was itself inspired by a traditional Japanese split-toe sock. The Air Rift reaches the same place from the opposite direction: a sport shoe with real running heritage, now in black leather that reads smarter than mesh. That crossover is why fashion shoppers and sneaker collectors end up looking at the same pair. Black leather also gives it an autumn edge, and it works with wide-leg trousers and a trench as easily as it does with a slip skirt.
2. Nike TC 7900 ‘Sail
Key Features: The Nike TC 7900 ‘Sail’ is a chunky runner built for everyday wear rather than mileage. Nike describes it as the look of early 2000s running made tough enough for daily use: layered synthetic upper, webbing details and rubber accents on the heel, thick foam cushioning, a padded low-cut collar and two pull tabs that make it easy to slip on. The colourway is Sail with black detailing (Sail/Black/Sail). Style code DD9682-100.
Sizing note: Nike lists the TC 7900 as fitting small and recommends ordering half a size up.
Why It’s Trending: It’s the dad-shoe silhouette in a softer colour. Chunky retro runners are everywhere, and plenty of them come in grey, white and navy that read sporty. The creamy Sail upper reads gentler, closer to a knit than a gym shoe, so it slots into the neutral, tonal outfits that fill autumn wardrobes. Black detailing keeps the layered construction easy to read without turning it loud.
3. adidas Samba Mule ‘Light Beige’
Key Features: The adidas Samba Mule ‘Light Beige’is a Samba with the heel cut off. A woven leather upper lets the foot breathe, the suede T-toe stays, and the gold ‘Samba’ branding now appears in script instead of the usual sans-serif. It sits on a lighter gum outsole. adidas’ own name for the colourway is ‘Crew White’ (some stores list it as Cream White); Novelship lists it as Light Beige. It dropped in June 2026. Style code KH7719.
Why It’s Trending: It fixes the one thing people grumble about with a Samba: getting it on and off. From the front it’s the same shape as the adidas Samba you already know, with no heel to fold down and a woven upper that feels lighter. Footwear News has tracked the same sneaker-to-mule move on the Nike Shox and the New Balance 2002R, so the Samba is joining a wider trend rather than inventing one. If you already own a Samba OG or Samba Jane, the Mule is an easy second pair that doesn’t repeat the first.
4. JENNIE x adidas Superstar Square Ballet ‘Off White Core Black’
Key Features: The JENNIE x adidas Superstar Square Ballet ‘Off White Core Black’ is the centrepiece of adidas Originals by JENNIE, her first collection with the brand as co-designer. The “Functional Grace” collection launched on 1 September 2026. adidas describes the Superstar SQ Ballet as the Superstar seen through a ballet pointe shoe: a premium leather upper, a soft lambskin lining, a squared toe that reshapes the shell toe, ribbon detailing and an elastic closure. The co-branding stays quiet, with JENNIE’s tag and the Trefoil on the insole. This is the Off White / Core Black / Core White pair. Style code LB3786.
Why It’s Trending: The ballet flat and the sneaker have been moving towards each other for a while, and this is where they properly meet. The Superstar’s shell toe is its most recognisable feature, so reshaping it was a bold move, but the square toe is what makes this read as a flat rather than a sneaker in disguise. The off-white version is the softer of the two and leans hardest into the ballet reference. JENNIE’s following as a member of BLACKPINK and a long-time adidas ambassador adds the rest of the pull. For more of the silhouette that started it all, browse the adidas Superstar range.
5. JENNIE x adidas Superstar Square Ballet ‘Core Black Off White’
Key Features: The JENNIE x adidas Superstar Square Ballet ‘Core Black Off White’ is the same square-toe, slip-on construction in the darker palette: a black leather upper, black 3-Stripes and off-white accents, with the same lambskin lining and insole-only co-branding. The colourway is Core Black / Core Black / Off White. Style code LB3787.
Why It’s Trending: If the off-white pair is the ballet shoe, this is the office one. A black square-toe flat with an elastic strap is about as classic as women’s footwear gets, and it slots into tailoring, black denim and workwear without any adjustment. That makes it the more practical pick. With no oversized logo or signature on the outside, it doesn’t read as a celebrity collaboration unless you know. Having both colourways in the top five suggests buyers see the Square Ballet as a silhouette, not a one-off.
6. Puma Speedcat Wedge 'Totally Taupe Chocolate
Key Features: The Puma Speedcat Wedge ‘Totally Taupe Chocolate’ puts height inside a racing shoe. The Speedcat traces back to the low-profile, fireproof shoes Puma built for Formula 1 drivers, and the Wedge keeps that slim, streamlined shape while adding a concealed wedge in the heel. Puma also gives it hook-and-loop straps and metallic accents, on a cow leather upper. The colourway is Totally Taupe-Chocolate. Style code 407878-01.
Why It’s Trending: It’s the most autumnal palette on the list, on one of the most flattering shapes. Taupe and chocolate are the shades that fill the shelves as the weather cools, and the Speedcat’s narrow profile already makes the foot look slimmer than a standard sneaker. Add a wedge that doesn’t show from the side and you get extra height without anyone being able to tell where it comes from. If the shape appeals, the wider Puma sneaker range on Novelship is worth a browse.
7. Nike Sabrina 3 'Statue of Liberty'
Key Features: The Nike Sabrina 3 ‘Statue of Liberty’ is Sabrina Ionescu’s third signature shoe in a colourway that nods to her team, the New York Liberty. A Mint Foam upper carries a glossy black Swoosh and Metallic Gold tongue branding. Underneath is Nike’s Cushlon 3.0 foam with a forefoot Zoom Air unit. It released on 13 February 2026 as part of Nike’s All-Star Weekend range. This is the EP version (style code HF2882-302; the standard version is HF2881-302), which has a more durable outsole for outdoor courts. Names vary: Nike’s own listing for the standard version calls it ‘Warning Label’, early reports said ‘Statue of Liberty’, and you’ll also see it searched as ‘Liberty Green’.
Why It’s Trending: It’s the most New York shoe a New York player could wear. The mint is no random pastel: it’s the green of the oxidised copper on the statue her team is named after, so the colourway has a story most hometown pairs only gesture at. Mint and black is also one of the easier Sabrina 3 combinations to wear off the court, and the EP outsole makes it a sensible choice if you actually play outdoors. More colourways are on the Nike Sabrina page on Novelship.
8. Nike Sabrina 3 'Pink Oxford'
Key Features: Officially named ‘Three’ by Nike, in honour of Sabrina Ionescu’s record-breaking 25-of-27 three-point shootout — the most makes in shootout history, male or female — but widely searched as ‘Pink Oxford’ for its dominant colour. The mesh upper carries at least three tones of pale pink, lightest at the toe and heel and darkest through the centre of the side panel, accented by Coconut Milk Swooshes, Enamel Green Sabrina “S” logos on the tongue and a speckled pink midsole. Cushlon 3.0 foam with a forefoot Zoom Air unit underneath. Style code HF2882-600, $135 retail.
Why It’s Trending: The Sabrina 3 returns after sitting out August, and it comes back with a different colorway than the one that carried it through May, June and July. That’s the line rather than the shoe — buyers are staying with the silhouette and rotating through the palette. The Pink Oxford is the most lifestyle-forward Sabrina 3 yet: pale pink, Coconut Milk and a mint accent make it genuinely wearable with washed denim, cream sweats and soft knitwear.
9. Nike Air Rift 'Polka Dots Black/Metallic Silver'
Key Features: The Nike Air Rift ‘Polka Dots Black / Metallic Silver’ is the graphic Air Rift. Nike describes it as pairing the grace of a ballet flat with the split toe and Air cushioning, in smooth synthetic leather with glossy polka dots and scalloped trim. The colourway is Black / Metallic Silver / Black. It has hook-and-loop straps so you can adjust the fit, a Nike Air unit in the heel and a plush foam midsole. Style code IR1226-001.
Why It’s Trending: It’s the Air Rift for going out. Where the Buckle Strap leans tailored, the metallic finish and polka dots push this one towards evening wear, and Nike’s own copy pitches it as work-ready and ready to step out. If you already own one Air Rift and want a second that doesn’t repeat the first, this is the obvious pick.
10. Nike Shox TL 'Tattoo'
Key Features: The full Shox TL silhouette with all four signature Shox columns underfoot — the visible mechanical cushioning system that defined Nike’s Y2K era. A breathable mesh upper is supported by moulded overlays for structure, with this execution running a tonal Tattoo palette broken up by black. Style code IB1087-500.
Why It’s Trending: The Shox TL is back. The silhouette led this chart at #1 in March and held #6 in May before dropping away, and it returns in September with a new colorway rather than a repeat. The Y2K tech-runner revival that produced the P-6000 and the Vomero 5 earlier this year is still running, and the Shox TL remains its most maximalist expression — the columns are impossible to mistake for anything else. The Tattoo palette is the more restrained execution, which is probably why it’s the one that’s landed.
What Are the Best Women's Sneakers to Buy in October 2026?
It depends on what the pair needs to do, but the pattern across the chart is clear: women are buying sneakers that borrow from other kinds of shoes. The Air Rift takes a designer’s split toe and buckles, and the Square Ballet is a flat wearing 3-Stripes. Even the two Sabrina 3s sell as much for their colours as for their court tech.
A quick way to choose:
- Dressed-up and polished: the Square Ballet in Core Black (#5) or the Air Rift ‘Buckle Strap’ (#1).
- Easy everyday wear: the Samba Mule (#3) or the TC 7900 (#2).
- Autumn colour: the Speedcat Wedge (#6) or the brown Samba Jane (#10).
- Actually playing: the Sabrina 3 EP pairs (#7 and #8).
Ready to pick? Shop all sneakers on Novelship, filter for women’s sneakers and check each listing for current sizes and pricing. Before you check out, grab the latest Novelship promo code.
FAQ's
It’s the centrepiece shoe from adidas Originals by JENNIE, her first collection with the brand as co-designer, released on 1 September 2026 under the “Functional Grace” concept. adidas reshapes the Superstar’s shell toe into a squared-off toe inspired by a ballet pointe shoe, and adds a leather upper, a lambskin lining, ribbon detailing and an elastic closure. JENNIE’s branding is kept to the insole. It comes in Off White (LB3786) and Core Black (LB3787).
The Samba Mule is backless: a slip-on with the heel removed and a woven leather upper. The Samba Jane keeps the heel and takes the Mary Jane shape, with a strap across the instep. Both are built on the slim Samba sole.
Nike lists it as fitting small and recommends ordering half a size up. If you are between sizes, or plan to wear thicker socks, go up.
Sabrina Ionescu plays for the New York Liberty, and the shoe’s Mint Foam upper picks up the green of the Statue of Liberty’s weathered copper. Early reports used the ‘Statue of Liberty’ name, while Nike’s own listing for the standard version calls the shoe ‘Warning Label’.
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