With the final full week of December upon us, there’s plenty of celebrating to do as we ring in the holidays. While many brands are taking a well-deserved break this week, Nike, Vans, Louis Vuitton, ASICS and Salomon are all dropping sneakers worth paying attention to. Before we dive into each of these 10 pairs, let’s look back at what footwear headlines made noise across the past seven days.
On the feature front, the Hypebeast team came together for our annual review of our favorite sneakers of the year, with pairs ranging from the POST ARCHIVE FACTION (PAF) x On Cloudventure Peak to the Procell x Mephisto Match. We also polled the streets of New York City and London to ask people what the best footwear brand of 2024 was.
As for the standard news slate, Supreme’s upcoming SB Dunk Low project was a key headline again as looks at the “Ocean Fog” and “Camper Green” colorways surfaced. We also had the Swoosh unveil another A Ma Maniére x Nike Air Force 1 Low, as well as this year’s Yardrunners 5.0 collection.
Jordan Brand had a notable week of its own with a first look at next year’s Air Jordan 4 “White Cement” surfacing alongside an initial preview of the Jordan Zion 4. A SoleFly x Air Jordan 3 project hit the rumor mill while the Air Jordan 1 Low OG had another solid week thanks to Travis Scott’s latest “Dark Mocha” drop and the unveiling of a new colorway by Rui Hachimura.
Looking to the Three Stripes, James Harden went ahead and unveiled six of his new adidas Harden Vol. 9 colorways for Spring/Summer 2025 while the brand also reportedly signed Damian Lillard to a lifetime deal. First looks at a Fear of God x adidas Jabbar High collab and another Bad Bunny x adidas Gazelle Indoor also hit the net. Rounding out the week, LaMelo Ball’s upcoming PUMA MB.05 leaked in a wide variety of colorways.
Now that you’re caught up with the latest news from the sneaker space, let’s take a look at which pairs you should have your eyes on this week. After reviewing these drops, be sure to hit up HBX to shop styles that are available right now.
Nike Vapor Edge Kobe 6 SE “Grinch”
Release Date: December 24
Release Price: $230 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: One of the Nike Kobe line’s most legendary looks took (American) football fields by storm this year with the introduction of the Nike Vapor Edge Kobe 6 SE “Grinch.” The festive pair had a surprise release for Thanksgiving but is now set to return for Christmas. Its design sees the sleek upper of the Kobe 6 recreated atop a Vapor Edge cleat, all the while embracing the “Grinch”-themed colorway that is sure to stand out.
S.R. STUDIO. LA. CA. x OTW by Vans Old Skool Reissue 36 & Sk8-Hi 38 Vibram
Release Date: December 24
Release Price: $140 USD and $150 USD
Where to Buy: HBX
Why You Should Cop: American artist Sterling Ruby launched S.R. STUDIO. LA. CA., his ready-to-wear clothing brand, in 2019 and has continued to merge the worlds of art and fashion into one entity, collaborating with brands like Vans in the process. The two teamed up earlier this year to introduce the newly-branded OTW by Vans line and are back with takes on the Old Skool Reissue 36 and Sk8-Hi 38 Vibram that are now dropping via HBX. Both pairs feature prominent co-branding with the Old Skool donning an all-green finish and the Sk8-Hi favoring a palette comprised of white, yellow and green.
Nike Vapor Edge Kobe 6 SE “Mismatch Grinch”
Release Date: December 25
Release Price: $230 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: In addition to the release of the Nike Vapor Edge Kobe 6 SE “Grinch,” Vanessa Bryant went on to reveal a “Mismatch Grinch” version that features the red “Reverse Grinch” colorway as the left cleat while the right sticks to the classic green composition. As is the case with the aforementioned “Grinch” look, it combines a Vapor Edge cleat with an upper shape and texture that is inspired by the Kobe 6 as its two Christmas-themed colorways combine for one fierce look.
Nike KD 17 “Christmas”
Release Date: December 26
Release Price: $150 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: The holiday cheer continues with Nike Basketball’s lineup of signature shoes sporting “Christmas” colorways, with the KD 17 as one of several pairs dropping the day after the holiday. This year’s holiday look for Durant sees a white and light blue color combination grace his Air Max Plus-inspired signature shoe. “Easy” branding hits the tongue and heel while callouts to Durant are offered at the heel, sockliner and outsole.
Louis Vuitton Footprint Soccer Shoe
Release Date: December 26
Release Price: TBC
Where to Buy: Louis Vuitton
Why You Should Cop: Louis Vuitton’s Spring 2025 runway show drew notable inspiration from football (soccer) with everything from match balls to its new Footprint Soccer Shoe that is going up for pre-order this week. Pictured here in four of its five colorways — which will include “Black,” “White,” “Blue,” “Red” and “Forest Green” — the silhouette stands out with prominent branding from the fashion house while its sleek shape and extended tongue nod to classic football silhouettes.
Nike LeBron 22 “Christmas”
Release Date: December 26
Release Price: $190 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: LeBron James is embracing the holiday spirit again this year as his Nike LeBron 22 is also dropping in a “Christmas” iteration. The unique pair sees the left shoe utilize a blue “Dusty Cactus” hue while the right favors a bright “Solar Red.” The two are accented by the opposing color at the Swoosh outline and heel detail while white rounds out the pair, including at the fuzzy laces.
Nike Giannis Freak 6 “Christmas”
Release Date: December 26
Release Price: $150 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: The third and final pair in Nike Basketball’s lineup of “Christmas” colorways of signature shoes features Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Giannis Freak 6. Similar to the other pairs, its holiday inspiration isn’t obvious at first glance. The shoe features blue and black throughout its upper while its typical oversized Swoosh appears in a white that matches the court-ready outsole.
Bodega x ASICS GEL-KAYANO 20 Friends & Family
Release Date: December 27
Release Price: $180 USD
Where to Buy: Bodega
Why You Should Cop: Bodega and ASICS reunited earlier this season to drop a “Small Wins Add Up” colorway of the GEL-KAYANO 20 that celebrates the victories we have in everyday life. The duo went on to reveal an alternate Friends & Family colorway that was also developed and will be sharing it with the public this week via a limited launch. Its adjusted palette sees shades of brown share space across the upper as a highlighter green enlivens the lining. In addition to the shoes, a bag of Vietnamese coffee from Nguyen Coffee Supply and a custom co-branded Stanley Camp Mug are included with each purchase.
Kids of Immigrants x Nike Air Max Sunder “Sunrise”
Release Date: December 27
Release Price: $190 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: Kids of Immigrants turned an exciting year for the Nike Air Max Sunder into a standout one. The Los Angeles-based brand didn’t just assemble two new colorways of the sneaker, it reimagined the shoe with new gridlines across its upper and special accessories. After releasing through KOI channels earlier in the month, the “Sunrise” pair is now set to drop via Nike with its orange gradient shining bright.
Kith x Salomon XT-4K
Release Date: December 30
Release Price: TBC
Where to Buy: Kith
Why You Should Cop: December is always a busy year for Kith as it celebrates the holidays with one drop after another. As the month comes to a close, the lifestyle label is due to drop a Salomon XT-4K collaboration that was first unveiled in the latest issue of Shoes Master. While information remains limited about the project, the teaser imagery notes a white and gray colorway that is accented by red at the outsole and lacing system.
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