Air Jordan 11 "Jubilee" Celebrates a Milestone in This Week's Best Footwear Drops
Alongside Prada and adidas’ new A+P LUNA ROSSA 21, J Balvin’s Air Jordan 1, a duo of dashing Nike Dunks and Stüssy’s two Air Force 1s.
With the holiday season’s festivities slowly but surely building towards a crescendo, footwear brands have prepared some of their biggest drops of the year. This week we’ve got collaborations aplenty from parties wide-ranging as J Balvin, Prada and Stüssy, the annual holiday Air Jordan 11 release and much more. For the sake of being succinct, we’ve also trimmed the list down to 10 drops from a dozen — after all, making hard choices builds character and sneaker collections alike. Before we get into this week’s 10 best drops, however, let’s get refreshed on what went down over the last seven days.
For the latest installment of Sole Mates, HYPEBEAST chatted with Slam Jam marketing director Carlo Alberto Tinelli about the retail outfit’s new ASICS Novablast collaboration, how they’ve been able to stand the test of time and more. HYPEBEAST How To was focused on footwear as well, with Maybe Tomorrow founder Mark Nguyen teaching you how to customize your Converse Chuck Taylors via heat transfer.
In your weekly dose of Nike Dunk news, official images of Sean Cliver’s holiday-themed Nike SB Dunk Low were revealed, and the Warren Lotas vs. Nike saga rolled right along with the stunning revelation that the designer had sold over $10M USD worth of his “Nike Dunk Rip-Offs,” at least $2M USD of which he’d lose due to Nike winning a preliminary injunction order. Plenty of collaborations were presented as well with the release of tennis star Naomi Osaka’s COMME des GARÇONS x Nike Blazer Mid ‘77 Vintage and Post Malone’s latest Crocs, an official look at two new sacai x Nike Vaporwaffle colorways and the Matthew M. Williams x Nike Zoom MMW 4, a peek at Kim Jones’ “Neon”-inspired Air Max 95, an official look at the adidas YEEZY BOOST 380 “LMNTE/LMNTE Reflective,” and the announcement of a fifth adidas YEEZY BOOST 350 V2 “Zebra” restock plus the start of adidas’ “BOOST Week.”
Jones’ “Neon” collaboration wasn’t the only bit of Air Max 95 news, as the OG Air Max 95 “Neon” received an official release date. Michael Jordan’s Centre Court from The Last Dance began popping up at Japanese stockists, and sneaker leak legend Hanzuying made a return from a monthslong hiatus too, blessing sneaker lovers with early looks at the Air Jordan 4 “Starfish” and Air Jordan 1 “University Blue.”
Finally, three custom-style sneakers had a moment in the spotlight. Fine porcelain maker Meissen teamed with adidas for a one-off ZX 8000 that was auctioned at Sotheby’s, BAIT and Nike Japan served up a rare beef-inspired “A5 Wagyu AF1/1” available exclusively at Tokyo Comic-Con, and London-based studio Made Black created an Air Force 1 “BLACK FLAWA,” covered in hand-made black flowers.
Caught up? Let’s get into 10 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.
J Balvin x Air Jordan 1
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: December 8
Release Price: $190 USD
Where to Buy: Nike SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: J Balvin is one of the world’s biggest reggaetón stars, and the Columbian artist has brought his colorful, fun-loving personality to the Air Jordan 1. The first Latino to ever receive an Air Jordan collaboration, Balvin’s AJ1 is awash in warm gradient fades, features spiked detailing around the seams and even comes with interchangeable patches, allowing the wearer to add a touch of their very own flair.
Stüssy x Nike Air Force 1 “Fossil Stone” and “Black”
Stüssy
Stüssy
Release Date: December 11
Release Price: $130 USD
Where to Buy: Stüssy and Nike SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: Stüssy is putting a cap on its extremely strong 2020 with this duo of Air Force 1 collaborations. Both are made of hemp, done up in tonal color palettes and boast special details on toebox, tongue and heel alike. The “Fossil Stone” is supposedly a Stüssy exclusive while the “Black” will be available globally — but expect both pairs to serve as some of this week’s most impactful drops.
Prada x adidas A+P LUNA ROSSA 21
Adidas
Adidas
Adidas
Release Date: December 9
Release Price: £490 GBP (approx. $650 USD)
Where to Buy: Prada and adidas
Why You Should Cop: Prada and adidas’ new A+P LUNA ROSSA 21 is a vast divergence from the two’s past heritage-geared Superstar collaborations. Its silhouette draws from Prada’s famous AC75 Luna Rossa boat shoe, but its design uses modern Trefoil materials like a semi-translucent PRIMEGREEN TPE upper and bouncy BOOST cushioning, essentially bringing one of the most seminal high fashion sneakers ever into a bold new age.
Nike Dunk High “Varsity Maize”
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: December 9
Release Price: $120 USD
Where to Buy: Nike SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: First seen in 1985 as part of Nike’s famed “Be True to Your School” pack and bequeathed with lofty status in the world of hip-hop by 1999’s ultra-limited “Wu-Tang” makeup, Nike’s Dunk High “Varsity Maize” is back and just as bold as ever. Equal parts Iowa Hawkeyes and Shaolin, its vivid yellow and black colorblocking make it one of the year’s most desirable Dunk High releases.
Anderson .Paak x Vans Old Skool “Ziti” and “Soulito”
Vans
Vans
Vans
Release Date: December 11
Release Price: TBC
Where to Buy: Vans
Why You Should Cop: Anderson .Paak’s second Vans collection is inspired by his beloved sons: the Old Skool “Ziti” by younger son son Shine and Old Skool “Soulito” by older son Soul. Both are inherently fun as well, using materials like soft and colorful suede for an eye-catching look or corduroy with an ultra-thick wale for titillating texture.
AMBUSH x Nike Dunk High “Black/White”
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: December 11
Release Price: $180 USD
Where to Buy: Nike SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: Straight from the mind of Yoon Ahn, the AMBUSH x Nike Dunk High is a motorcycle-inspired take on a classic — one that boasts a clean black and white color scheme plus extended Swooshes that nod to tailpipes. Interestingly enough, even though its automotive theme is undeniable it’s in fact the centerpiece of an AMBUSH x Nike x NBA collection that references ’90s style.
Dime x Reebok Kamikaze II Low Collection
Reebok
Reebok
Reebok
Release Date: December 12
Release Price: $120 USD
Where to Buy: Reebok
Why You Should Cop: Dime’s Reebok Kamikaze II Low collection is equal parts Shawn Kemp and skateboarding. The Montreal skate maven has presented Kemp’s second signature sneaker in three colorways — its signature blue, white and neon green, a Kill Bill-style yellow and black and a stark black with an icy sole — all of which feature co-branded detailing and will see a global drop this week following last week’s Dime-exclusive launch.
Pharrell x adidas “Triple Black” Pack
Adidas
Adidas
Adidas
Release Date: December 12
Release Price: $100-$180 USD
Where to Buy: adidas
Why You Should Cop: Like Pharrell’s collaborations? Like all-black kicks? Then the Pharrell x adidas “Triple Black” pack is sure to strike your fancy. There’s a whopping 14 shoes included — in alphabetical order, the adilette BOOST, Climacool Vento, Continental 80, D.O.N. Issue #2, NMD R1, Samba, Stan Smith, Sobakov 2.0, Solar Hu Glide, Superstar, Superstar Primeknit, Tennis Hu, UltraBOOST DNA, UltraBOOST 20 and ZX 2K Boost — all of which are dressed in stark color schemes and boast special Hu detailing.
Air Jordan 11 “Jubilee”
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: December 12
Release Price: $220 USD
Where to Buy: Nike SNKRS and Foot Locker
Why You Should Cop: “Jubilee” means a celebration of something’s 25th anniversary, so the Air Jordan 11 “Jubilee” is a fitting nod to the seminal silhouette’s quarter century mark. Boasting a black-based colorway with striking metallic silver embellishments like metal heel Jumpman logos and Jordan spellouts on the eyestays, the “Jubilee” is equal parts past and present — and will surely excite Jumpman heads for the AJ11’s future as well.
New Balance 327 “Primary Pack”
New Balance
Release Date: December 12
Release Price: $120 USD
Where to Buy: New Balance
Why You Should Cop: New Balance’s 327 was arguably the strongest new lifestyle silhouette to come to market this year, and it’s set to round 2020 off with a “Primary Pack.” Three styles that boast a crisp white base with primary red, blue or yellow accents, each of these simple-yet-effective takes is a fitting last call for the 327’s first year on the market before it tries to continue its run in 2021.
