The last week of summer is upon us and as we all ready our wardrobes for the cold weather to come, the sneaker industry is back with another week of anticipated drops to keep your rotation ready for action. This time around, Nike, New Balance, adidas, Timberland and Jordan Brand have all assembled notable drops to consider copping. However, before we kick things off with the latest Nike Air Max Sunder release, let’s take a look back at the key headlines from the past seven days.
On the feature front, we connected with sneaker aficionado Bimma Williams to chat about his history in the game, what it’s like to work at various footwear brands and the state of collaborations in an hourlong conversation. We also took time to chat with Odell Beckham Jr. and The Surgeon to discuss the self-described brotherhood that they’ve built via the custom cleats they make together for each NFL game that OBJ plays in.
As for our traditional news, Fat Joe took to Instagram to reveal an Off-White™ x Nike Air Force 1 Low “Arabic” pair while L’Art de L’Automobile clarified that its two-design Nike Air Force 1 Low project is for F&F-only. With Ja Morant’s second signature shoe, the Nike Ja 2, set to release this month, the Swoosh unveiled its complete set of imagery for the debut “Induction” colorway. We also spotted a first look at next year’s “Year of the Mamba” colorway of the Nike Kobe 5 Protro.
Discussions surrounding Jordan Brand saw highs and lows emerge as the Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Low OG “Pale Vanilla,” Air Jordan 5 “Black Cat” and more rumored pairs were reportedly cancelled. On the bright side, first looks at “Rare Air” colorways of the Air Jordan 3 and Air Jordan 4 popped up and caught plenty of attention.
Elsewhere in the industry, A$AP Rocky’s partnership with PUMA continues to blossom as the duo unveiled their new Inhale OG collaboration. Meanwhile, we caught a complete visual breakdown of the Doublet x ASICS GEL-KAYANO 20 ahead of its November launch date. Rounding things out, Aimé Leon Dore and New Balance returned with two colorways of the 475.
With all of the past week’s key footwear headlines recapped, let’s go ahead and get started with the ten best sneaker drops of the week to come. Afterwards, be sure to hit up HBX to shop styles that are available to purchase now.
Nike Air Max Sunder “Black and Silver”
Release Date: September 18
Release Price: $180 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: 25 years later, the Nike Air Max Sunder is back and has been one of the Swoosh’s most exciting bring-backs in recent history. Now, it’s set to drop in a “Black and Silver” colorway that places its point of emphasis squarely on the silhouette’s unique build, including its D-ring-equipped zipper that covers the tongue and inner lacing system.
New Balance 1906L “Silver”
Release Date: September 19
Release Price: $160 USD
Where to Buy: New Balance
Why You Should Cop: No matter if you love it or hate it, the New Balance 1906L is inevitable. The “sneaker loafer” made its debut via Junya Watanabe MAN at Paris Fashion Week in January and prompted a downpour of mixed emotions. It was then quickly identified as an in-line silhouette and has left many patiently waiting for its arrival. After many months of anticipation, it is set to launch stateside in its “Silver” colorway that channels metallic detailing across the overlays of the gray sneaker.
Nike Kobe 9 Elite Low Protro “Halo”
Release Date: September 19
Release Price: $210 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: The Nike Kobe 9 Elite Protro landed on shelves for the first time last month in celebration of the late superstar’s birthday, sporting the all-white “Halo” build after the Kobe 8 Protro did last year on the day. Now, its low-top counterpart is joining in on the fun by also rocking the all-white finish. Symbolizing Bryant’s dedication to improving, the court-ready sneaker is equipped with React cushioning and a Flyknit upper.
Song for the Mute x adidas Adistar Cushion
Release Date: September 19
Release Price: $160 USD
Where to Buy: adidas and HBX
Why You Should Cop: Australia’s very own Song for the Mute has developed a close partnership with adidas Originals across recent years. The duo have operated on their “SFTM-001” — a collaborative take on the Shadowturf silhouette — several times before, while also customizing the Country OG and Campus 80s, and have reworked the Adistar Cushion this time around. Three colorways of the silhouette see subtle co-branding enter at the stitched tags located at the tongue and lateral midfoot while offering finishes of “Shadow Green,” “Dark Brown” and “Silver Metallic.”
Nike LeBron TR1 “Dunk Man”
Release Date: September 19
Release Price: $130 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: We’re about to see LeBron James enter his 22nd year in the NBA and he’s still a force to be reckoned with. Beyond his perennial stardom on the court, his sneaker work with Nike continues to shine bright and is now expanding into the training category with the introduction of the Nike LeBron TR1. The new silhouette sports a lightweight build that lacks a strobel unit, favoring feet being closer to the foam cushioning system. This “Dunk Man” take pairs “Smoke Grey” with “Volt” accents and marks a new chapter for James and the Swoosh.
JJJJound x Timberland 6-Inch Premium GORE-TEX Boots
Release Date: September 19
Release Price: TBC
Where to Buy: JJJJound and Timberland
Why You Should Cop: JJJJound’s expansive list of collaborators is set to add yet another brand as it has teamed up with Timberland to rework its iconic 6-Inch Boots with GORE-TEX and a Vibram sole unit. Arriving in black and brown leather options, the boots feature the JJJJound and Timberland Tree logos at the lateral heel.
VERDY x Nike SB Dunk Low and SB Ishod 2 “VISTY”
Release Date: September 20
Release Price: $110 USD to $130 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: Japanese artist VERDY has made a name for himself by not only creating his own brands and characters, but by teaming up with many of the world’s biggest names — from Nike to BLACKPINK. Now, his latest work with the Swoosh sees him partner with the brand’s skateboarding division to rework the SB Dunk Low and SB Ishod 2 into two “VISTY”-inspired colorways. VISTY is the name of a character that VERDY created several years ago and features pastel hues of blue, green, pink and yellow.
A Ma Maniére x Air Jordan 4 “W.Y.W.S.”
Release Date: September 20
Release Price: $225 USD
Where to Buy: A Ma Maniére
Why You Should Cop: The rollout of A Ma Maniére’s three-brand “While You Were Sleeping” collection sees its third and final Jordan Brand sneaker drop this week as the duo’s latest long-awaited Air Jordan 4 hits shelves. Its off-white “Fossil Stone” upper combines with luxe “Burgundy Crush” accents as co-branding is included at the shoe’s tongue tag. The pair is notably releasing alongside an expansive apparel capsule that complements the project as a whole.
Bad Bunny x adidas Gazelle Indoor
Release Date: September 21
Release Price: $140 USD
Where to Buy: adidas and HBX
Why You Should Cop: Bad Bunny and adidas are back at it this week as the two are finally releasing their Gazelle Indoor collaboration to the masses. Donning a classic composition of off-white, black and a gum sole unit, the sneaker offers a versatile look that comes with a Benito flair. Channeling the concept of “the right thing in the wrong place,” the shoe features a unique shape that reworks its overlays and places a size tag at the heel.
Air Jordan 1 Low OG “Mocha”
Release Date: September 21
Release Price: $140 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: It’s been four years since the Air Jordan 1 High “Mocha” hit the market, offering a combination of white, black and brown across the beloved silhouette. Revisiting the look, Jordan Brand has applied the colorway to its low-top counterpart. White leather kicks things off while black leather covers the overlays, save for the heel, which favors brown. An off-white midsole and black rubber outsole serve as the final touches to this new-yet-familiar look.
