August is wrapping up this week and we’ve already begun to see the season start to shift from summer to fall. Many brands have already recognized this as streetwear labels such as Palace, Supreme, KITH and Aimé Leon Dore have all hosted fall drops. Adding to the excitement, several sneaker companies are back in the mix for this week’s best footwear drops, which leads off with Jordan Brand and is followed by Nike, ASICS and adidas. We’ll get started with the second release of the A Ma Maniére x Air Jordan 3 “W.Y.W.S.” after we give you a rundown of the key footwear headlines that captured our attention this past week.
It was a relatively quiet week for the Swoosh, however, new imagery of several much-anticipated pairs excited sneakerheads. One such set of visuals was the first look at this year’s Nike Dunk High “Wu-Tang.” Nike also took the time to reveal its imagery of LeBron James’ new training shoe, the Nike LeBron TR 1, while also sharing its preview of the Air Jordan 5 “El Grito” and five new Kobe 8 Protro colorways.
Elsewhere in the industry, norda continued its exciting August by announcing the reveal of its norda 005 silhouette, which will take place later this week. LaMelo Ball entered the mix once again by unveiling his fourth signature performance shoe, the PUMA MB.04. New Balance rounded out the week with several major points — a preview of a $1,000 USD Loro Piana-designed 990v6, the surprise release of Aimé Leon Dore’s new 990v4s and with the signing of top college basketball prospect Cooper Flagg.
Now that you’re caught up on the latest news from the world of sneakers, let’s go ahead and go over the ten most important sneaker releases of the week. After you make your way through the list, be sure to hit up HBX to shop styles that are available now.
A Ma Maniére x Air Jordan 3 “W.Y.W.S.”
Release Date: August 27
Release Price: $225 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: In case you missed out on last week’s release of the A Ma Maniére x Air Jordan 3 “W.Y.W.S.,” Nike’s got your back. The lead sneaker from the expansive “While You Were Sleeping” collection is set to drop for a second time as the rollout of the range continues with another pair that we’ll dive into later. The slick pair features black and a rich “Violet Ore” throughout its upper while AMM branding appears at the tongue and sockliner, not to mention the project’s special shoe box commemorating AMM’s 10th anniversary.
Air Jordan 17 Low “UNC”
Release Date: August 28
Release Price: $300 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: It’s been 22 years since Jordan Brand first introduced the Air Jordan 17 Low in its “UNC” colorway. Now, decades later, it’s set to return to shelves in more grand form than ever before as it is now accompanied by a special silver briefcase. The pair pays homage to Michael Jordan’s alma mater — the University of North Carolina — combining a white upper with UNC blue detailing throughout.
Alexis Sablone x Nike SB Dunk Low
Release Date: August 29
Release Price: $135 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: It’s been more than a couple of weeks since this year’s Olympic Games officially wrapped up, a competition that notably featured the design work of professional skateboarder Alexis Sablone on some of the skate participants. In continuation of her work with the Nike SB team, her very own SB Dunk Low collaboration is finally dropping this week. The chameleon-themed pair is outfitted in scale-covered, color-shifting overlays with a prominent “AS” detail present at the heel.
Air Jordan 1 Low OG “Oxidized Green”
Release Date: August 29
Release Price: $140 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: “Oxidized Green” is one of Nike’s colors that has been reappearing throughout 2024, having been spotted on the Air Jordan 4 and its low-top counterpart previously. Now, it adorns the Air Jordan 1 Low OG, arriving at the Swooshes, heel tab, tongue branding and sockliner. White leather makes up the remainder of the upper while the sole unit favors a combination of off-white at the stitched midsole and gum at the outsole.
Above the Clouds x ASICS GT-2160
Release Date: August 30
Release Price: $152 USD
Where to Buy: Select Retailers
Why You Should Cop: Australian sneaker boutique Above the Clouds has worked closely with ASICS over the years and has brought much excitement to the GT-2160 in the past 365 days as its debut project featuring the shoe arrived late last year before its sequel dropped in July. The campaign is now set to wrap up as its final colorways of “Black/Gunmetal” and “White/Pure Silver” are both dropping globally after debuting via the store last week. Both pairs leverage the duo’s translucent forefoot detail once again, offering white and black finishes that are sure to fit into any wardrobe with ease.
A Ma Maniére x Air Jordan 39 “W.Y.W.S.”
Release Date: August 30
Release Price: $215 USD
Where to Buy: A Ma Maniére
Why You Should Cop: Not only is the Air Jordan 3 from A Ma Maniére’s “While You Were Sleeping” collaboration dropping again this week, but its Air Jordan 39 is set to debut exclusively via the brand as well. As AMM continues to celebrate its 10th anniversary, the brand’s second drop sees the newly-introduced Air Jordan 39 don a royal mauve makeover that gives the performance shoe its cleanest finish to date. To top it all off, black and brown combine as complementary hues across the upper while a semi-translucent gum sole gives it a proper finishing touch.
Nike Air Tech Challenge 2 “Hot Lava”
Release Date: August 30
Release Price: $150 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: It’s been 34 years since Andre Agassi first took on the tennis world in the Air Tech Challenge 2, with the “Hot Lava” iteration becoming his most iconic look. The pair has been revisited many times over the years and now sees the familiar color composition presented with an aged finish. The upper’s white has been modified to a light off-white while the midsole favors a yellowed finish and the splatter detailing features faux-cracking.
BAPE x adidas Dame 9
Release Date: August 31
Release Price: TBC
Where to Buy: adidas
Why You Should Cop: After much anticipation, Damian Lillard is finally set to debut the adidas Dame 9 this upcoming NBA season. In celebration of this, he’s once again teamed up with BAPE to outfit the sneaker in two eye-catching colorways for the general public and a patriotic rendition for his closest friends and family. The former two are the pairs being made available this week, with “Core Black” and “Better Scarlet” colorways offering BAPE’s iconic camouflage across the sneaker. That’s not all either, the new court-ready kicks are dropping alongside complementary apparel that ranges from a jersey and shorts set to socks and a BABY MILO graphic tee.
Air Jordan 3 “Cement Grey”
Release Date: August 31
Release Price: $200 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: In case the A Ma Maniére pair isn’t your speed, Jordan Brand’s set to drop its new “Cement Grey” colorway this week as well. Equipped with a white leather upper, the silhouette’s signature elephant print arrives at the mudguards and around the lacing system. “Fire Red” also enters the mix at the tongue’s Jumpman branding while the heel’s Jumpman logo appears in black.
Nike Air DT Max ‘96 “Colorado Home” and “Colorado Away”
Release Date: September 2
Release Price: $170 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: College football is back in action and there are plenty of exciting storylines to follow, including many shifts in conference alignment. One team impacted by this is the University of Colorado, which has Deion Sanders, aka Coach Prime, at the helm for his second season as he looks to continue to shake up the scene. Nike celebrated his debut year with the team by bringing back his OG Air DT Max ‘96 look and has now outfitted the sneaker in Colorado-themed colorways. The first “Colorado Home” pair sees the team’s black and gold combine across the sneaker while the “Colorado Away” counterpart trades black for white.
