Sneaker aficionados around the world — or at least in the US — may still be in a turkey-and-leftovers induced post-holiday malaise, but as the calendar turns from November to December the world’s biggest footwear brands are picking up right where they left off. There’s a wide swath of drops both exclusive and accessable going down over the next seven days, but before we explore ‘em let’s take a quick refresher on what went down last week first.
As of last Saturday Sole Mates is 10 installments deep, and for its 10th iteration HYPEBEAST chatted with Slam Jam about its new ASICS Novablast collaboration, founder Luca Benini’s eye for design and more. The slate of exclusive content also included interviews with RHUDE founder Rhuigi Villaseñor and Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma about their co-created PUMA Clyde All-Pro Kuzma Mid and a chat with Paria Farzaneh about her new Converse collaboration.
Your weekly dose of Nike Dunk news was a little smaller than it’s been in recent memory, but the styles that did surface made considerable noise. The highly-anticipated Dunk High “Varsity Maize” received an official release date and set of images, while we were given on-foot looks at the upcoming Futura Laboratories x Off-White™ x Nike Dunk Low and the recently-released, Swarovski crystal-covered Cactus Plant Flea Market x Nike Dunk Low in “Pure Platinum.” Air Force 1s and Air Jordan 1s had moments in the spotlight as well: a release date was rumored for Stüssy’s Air Force 1 Low, and official images of J Balvin’s Air Jordan 1 collaboration were revealed.
The Swoosh and the Jumpman weren’t the only entities making headlines. Prada and adidas officially revealed the oft-teased A+P LUNA ROSSA 21, and Ronnie Fieg’s KITH dropped a 30-pair collection of ASICS GEL-Lyte IIIs pompously dubbed “The Pallette.” It was revealed that Levi’s and New Balance would be collaborating on the 992, and Steph Curry’s partnership with Under Armour entered a new chapter with the announcement of the star guard’s signature “Curry Brand” under the UA umbrella. Last but not least emerging sneaker label notwoways made some noise with an original silhouette dubbed the “moonless,” no small feat in a climate where most consumers are conditioned to only want retros or shoes from familiar brands.
Now that you’re all up to speed let’s get into a dozen of this week’s best drops. As always, note that any shoes listed below may be pushed back due to the continued effects of the coronavirus and head over to HBX to check out other new footwear styles.
New Balance 550 “White/Red” and “White/Blue”
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New Balance
Release Date: December 1
Release Price: TBC
Where to Buy: New Balance
Why You Should Cop: First revived from utter obscurity by 2020 kingmakers Aimé Leon Dore, then given extra legs by effusive love from Instagram archive pages, New Balance’s 550 is now set to return in two in-line styles. Both “White/Red” and “White/Blue” colorways will be available, each of which boast premium leather and simple-yet-effective colorblocking for an en vogue ’80s basketball look.
(RED) x Louis Vuitton LV Trainer
Louis Vuitton
Release Date: December 1
Release Price: TBC
Where to Buy: Louis Vuitton
Why You Should Cop: It’s exceedingly uncommon to have an exact drop date for high fashion footwear, and even more rare that those styles are included on this list. After all, it’s hard to pin something as a “best drop” if you don’t even know when it’ll be releasing. However, (RED) and Louis Vuitton’s new LV Trainer is one of those elusive styles. A charity-focused white and red take on Virgil Abloh’s most notable LV footwear design, $200 USD of each (RED) LV Trainer’s sale price will go directly towards the global fight against AIDS.
Reebok Question Mid “Iverson Classic”
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Reebok
Release Date: December 1
Release Price: $140 USD
Where to Buy: Reebok
Why You Should Cop: A PE-style shoe made for Allen Iverson’s annual grassroots hoops extravaganza, the Reebok Question Mid “Iverson Classic” salutes the nation’s finest high school basketball players. Though 2020’s Iverson Classic may have been canceled due to the coronavirus, the shoe keeps its spirits alive with a rich Georgetown Hoyas-style color scheme that nods to the event’s marquee talent and the uniforms they wear during the game itself.
FRAME x Nike SB Dunk Low “Habibi”
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Release Date: December 2 (Frame Skate) and December 5 (Global)
Release Price: TBC
Where to Buy: Frame Skate
Why You Should Cop: Habibi is an Arabic term of affection that translates to “my love” in English, so the love between Dubai-based FRAME and Nike SB is palpable on the SB Dunk Low “Habibi.” Paying homage to the absurdly wealthy city of Dubai’s growing youth culture, the “Habibi” boasts clever details like doubled-up Swooshes and tongues plus a UAE-centric color scheme, making for a proud, regionally-focused style. It’ll release exclusively at FRAME December 2, then roll out globally on November 5 — so check your local skateshop for specific details.
Air Jordan 4 “Manilla”
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Release Date: December 3
Release Price: TBC
Where to Buy: Jordan Manilla (Raffle)
Why You Should Cop: A celebration of Jordan Brand’s first Philippines-based flagship, the Air Jordan 4 “Manilla” is bursting with Filipino pride, dressed in rich green and constructed of luxurious materials. It’s only set to be available via raffle at the aforementioned flagship and limited to 150 pairs, so it’s unquestionably the week’s most rare release.
NOAH x adidas Gazelle Collection
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Adidas
Release Date: December 3
Release Price: $160 USD
Where to Buy: NOAH and adidas
Why You Should Cop: NOAH has always managed to respect the past while re-interpreting its signature looks for the future, and that adaptive ethos is on full display with its new adidas Gazelle collection. Featuring cheetah-printed pony hair or orange canvas duck camo takes on the classic sneaker, the offerings repurpose two signature prints from NOAH’s FW20 collection for a high-quality homage to one of the Trefoil’s best lifestyle silhouettes.
Air Jordan 8 “Burgundy”
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Release Date: December 4
Release Price: $190 USD
Where to Buy: Nike SNKRS and Foot Locker
Why You Should Cop: A rich and regal take on Michael Jordan’s 8th signature sneaker, the Air Jordan 8 “Burgundy” uses a color that has a long history with Jordan Brand in an entirely new fashion. Apart from its vividly-hued accents, the “Burgundy” also boasts signature details like crisp white leather bases and fuzzy chenille tongue patches to lock in its look It’s a women’s colorway, but one that’ll be available in an extended size run.
PLEASURES x ASICS GEL-Nandi OG
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Pleasures
Release Date: December 4
Release Price: $120 USD
Where to Buy: PLEASURES
Why You Should Cop: Los Angeles-based brand PLEASURES is no stranger to unique footwear collaborations, and its latest effort is a fresh take on ASICS’ GEL-Nandi OG. With a trail-themed brown and tan colorway plus iridescent pink accents, it’s a rugged-yet-vibrant sneaker that’s equal parts city and country — all wrapped up with special branding to boot.
Reebok Question Mid “Court Green”
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Reebok
Release Date: December 4
Release Price: $140 USD
Where to Buy: Reebok and Foot Locker
Why You Should Cop: A dual-pronged acknowledgement of Allen Iverson’s high school gridiron greatness and the Philadelphia Eagles, the Reebok Question Mid “Court Green” is sure to soothe the raw emotions of Iggles fans after AI’s last football-inspired Question Mid took on a Cowboys color scheme. This is achieved by the bright Birds-style “Court Green” hits on the toebox, DMX cushioning and more plus a jersey-style mesh upper and a special printed insole.
adidas YEEZY BOOST 350 V2 “Bred”
Alex Lau/Hbx
Release Date: December 5
Release Price: $220 USD (Men’s), $160 USD (Kids), $120 USD (Infants)
Where to Buy: adidas and YEEZY Supply
Why You Should Cop: Since Kanye West said that “eventually everyone who wants YEEZYs will get YEEZYs” in a 2015 interview with Ryan Seacrest, he’s done his best to make that promise come true with more releases and restocks than even the most ardent fan can shake a stick at. Now, the ultra-popular adidas YEEZY BOOST 350 V2 “Bred” from 2017 is set for a restock of its own. Centered around a red “SPLY-350” hit smack in the middle of its black Primeknit upper, the shoe is one of the most recognizable — and popular — 350 V2 styles to date. Early reports state that the restock is a whopping one: 575,000 pairs in total.
Air Jordan 9 “University Blue”
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Release Date: December 5
Release Price: $190 USD
Where to Buy: Nike SNKRS and Foot Locker
Why You Should Cop: The Air Jordan 9 “University Blue” is only the second AJ9 to release in 2020, but it’s a good one. Featuring a crisp black and white color scheme with powder blue accents that nod to Michael Jordan’s collegiate days at the University of North Carolina, the “University Blue” is a no-frills makeup that lets Tinker Hatfield’s iconic design language speak and may wind up being one of the year’s sleeper Air Jordan hits when it’s all said and done.
Patta x Reebok Club C
Stacii Samidin
Release Date: December 5
Release Price: TBC
Where to Buy: Patta
Why You Should Cop: Patta knows how to redo a classic, and its new Reebok Club C collaboration is a subtle display of that skill. Adding co-branded, Pan African-colored details to the tongue and midfoot alike, the shoe salutes African diasporic communities in the cities that Patta keeps its flagships in, and part of the proceeds from each shoe will be donated to various charities.
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