Air Jordan 1 Hi '85 "Varsity Red" Soars Over the Competition in This Week's Best Footwear Drops
Alongside dashing SB Dunks, Kanye West’s adidas YEEZY 700 MNVN debut and more.
Super Bowl LIV is in the books, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs reign supreme atop the NFL and now we’re entering an intermittent period of sorts before the madness of NBA All-Star Weekend arrives later in the month. Although we may be between major cultural events, there’s no rest for sneaker brands — this week is full of appealing drops sure to whet the appetite of footwear lovers from all walks of life. Before we dive into what’s ahead, let’s get caught up on everything that went down over the last 7 days first.
With a new year and new decade comes a swath of new trends so we predicted what you’ll see from footwear over the course of 2020, ranging from an enhanced focus on sustainable products to a major “comeback” for Nike SB. On a more immediate note, an Oregon man hit the jackpot of the week, month, year and decade alike when he bought an expired storage unit that contained 6 pairs of deadstock Nike Air Mags for a mere $75 USD. Nike’s ZoomX Vaporfly NEXT% scored a victory as well, with the IAAF ruling that it would be permitted at the 2020 Olympic Games.
Signature shoes and collaborations also took moments in the spotlight. J Balvin became the first Latino artist to receive a Jordan Brand collaboration, premiering a bold, colorful Air Jordan 1 this past weekend and then rocking it during his Super Bowl halftime show appearance. Miami’s UNKNWN partook in the festivities as well, blessing 54 lucky customers with a free pair of collaborative Air Max 90s.
Although it’s far from the sunny shores of Miami, lauded British retailer size? announced an exhibition and laundry list of special products to celebrate its 20th anniversary. adidas got in on the activities too, with Jonah Hill directing a “Change is a Team Sport” short film featuring some of the Three Stripes’ biggest stars. Last but not least, longtime Nike SB team member Shane O’Neal received his first-ever signature silhouette after 15 years on the Swoosh’s skate squad.
If high fashion footwear or rugged hiking boots is more your style than athletic sneakers, there was plenty on the table as well. Prada put forth a new camo design with translucent overlays and a chunky midsole. RHUDE gave us a high-cut style with retro detailing that’s intentionally adjacent to heritage basketball silhouettes, while Alexander McQueen pushed out a “White 3D” makeup of its popular Oversized Sneaker. ALYX 1017 9SM added chrome details and Vibram outsoles to its rollercoaster buckled-boots, and Danner linked with Westerlind for durable-yet-stylish collaborative designs.
All caught up? Good. Let’s dive into a hand-picked selection of this week’s very best releases. For a full list of styles arriving over the next seven days, be sure to check out the HYPEBEAST Drops page as well.
KangaROOS Ultimate “Memory of #34”
43einhalb
43einhalb
43einhalb
Release Date: February 2
Release Price: €290 EUR (approximately $320 USD)
Where to Buy: 43einhalb
Why You Should Cop: Released on the day of Super Bowl LIV, the KangaROOS Ultimate “Memory of #34” is a thoughtful tribute to one of the NFL’s greatest running backs: Walter Payton. With an ultra-premium Horween leather construction, pebbled football-style detailing and luxurious accouterments, the “Memory of #34” wastes no time or space saluting Payton’s on-field achievements and tenure as a KangaROOS athlete.
maharishi x Nike By You Air Max 720
Nike
Nike
Nike
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: February 3
Release Price: $220 USD
Where to Buy: Nike By You
Why You Should Cop: British brand maharishi has long been known for its innovative camouflage prints, and now it’s brought a signature leopard camo style to Nike’s Air Max 720. Releasing on the Nike By You platform, these bold Air Maxes can be customized to your heart’s content with various hues, motifs and embellishments.
adidas ZX 8000 “Lethal Nights” Pack
Solebox/Asphalt Gold/43einhalb
Solebox/Asphalt Gold/43einhalb
Solebox/Asphalt Gold/43einhalb
Release Date: February 6
Release Price: €140 EUR (approx. $155 USD)
Where to Buy: 43einhalb
Why You Should Cop: With three reptile-inspired, sinisterly-named takes on the ZX 8000, adidas Originals’ “Lethal Nights” pack is not for the faint of heart. Each pair features vastly divergent hues that range from cool aqua blue to hot red and earthy brown, but all three are brought together by a masterful application of snakeskin print, making for a trio of bold makeups that showcase the ZX line through a different lens.
Nike React Vision “Honeycomb” & “Gravity Purple”
Nike
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: February 6
Release Price: $140 USD
Where to Buy: Nike SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: The latest model from Nike’s conceptual D/MS/X project, the React Vision is an evolution of popular silhouettes like the React Element 55 and 87 that adds retro flair with an upper inspired by classic NSW models. Debuting in “Honeycomb” and “Gravity Purple” colorways — plus a women’s-only “Photon Dust” — it marks a new chapter for a popular Swoosh lifestyle line.
Billionaire Boys Club x Reebok Zig Kinetica
Billionaire Boys Club
Billionaire Boys Club
Release Date: February 7
Release Price: $160 USD
Where to Buy: Reebok
Why You Should Cop: Inspired by BBC brand head Pharrell’s long-standing fascination with space, the BBC x Reebok Zig Kinetica is all about the final frontier. Cosmos-focused in both silhouette and embellishment, it combines a black upper covered in star print with a glowing green midsole detailed to look like the moon’s surface. All this is melded with Reebok’s new Zig technology, making it feel like you’re truly walking on the moon.
Nike Dunk Low “Plum”
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: February 7
Release Price: $100 USD
Where to Buy: Nike SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: The Nike Dunk Low “Plum” is kicking off 2020’s slate of Dunk releases with its first-ever retro. Debuting all the way back in 2001 as part of a Nike Japan-exclusive “Ugly Duckling” pack, the “Plum” mixes a potent purple base with ripe red accents, making for a sweet and savory start to what’s surely going to be a big year for Dunk lovers.
adidas YEEZY 700 MNVN “Black”
Yeezy Supply
Release Date: February 8
Release Price: $220 USD
Where to Buy: In-Store Only
Why You Should Cop: Long-teased, the YEEZY 700 MNVN is finally set to make its debut in this stark all-black colorway. With significantly more branding than other adidas YEEZY releases, the MNVN combines a YEEZY BOOST 700 midsole with a sleek synthetic upper. This makes for a look that’s simultaneously new and familiar while kicking off 2020’s slate of new YEEZY styles with a bang.
StrangeLove Skateboards x Nike SB Dunk Low
Strangelove Skateboards
Strangelove Skateboards
Release Date: February 8
Release Price: $100 USD
Where to Buy: Nike SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: After a StrangeLove exclusive drop last week, the StrangeLove Skateboards x Nike SB Dunk is now set for a full release. A physical love letter from brand founder Sean Cliver to skateboarding, this Valentines-themed Dunk features a sultry crushed velvet upper and plenty of affectionate detailing, from hearts on the outsole to a signature StrangeLove graphic on the heel. With excellent materials, storytelling and execution, it’s reminiscent of top-tier releases from Nike SB’s mid-’00s glory days.
Kiko Kostadinov x ASICS GEL-Kiril “Cilantro”
Asphalt Gold
Release Date: February 8
Release Price: €209 EUR (approximately $231 USD)
Where to Buy: Asphalt Gold
Why You Should Cop: The latest silhouette from the long-running partnership between Kiko Kostadinov and ASICS, the GEL-Kiril features latticed patent leather overlays, bold branding and comfy GEL cushioning plus a crisp green “Cilantro” palette. In short, it’s got all the details, tech and style you’d expect to see when the Bulgarian designer and Japanese footwear brand link up, and it’s the first of three colorways set to drop this spring.
Air Jordan 1 Hi ‘85 “Varsity Red”
Hanzuying
Release Date: February 8
Release Price: $200 USD
Where to Buy: Nike SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: Marking the beginning of a new era for the Air Jordan 1 by circling back to its original styling, the Air Jordan 1 Hi ‘85 has been touted as the most accurate re-creation of Michael Jordan’s first signature silhouette yet, and it’s debuting in a “Varsity Red” colorway. With a palette adjacent to the OG “Bred” and a towering cut to match its sky-high $200 USD retail price, the “Varsity Red” is limited to only 23,000 pairs and serves as a perfect lead-in to NBA All-Star Weekend’s “New Beginnings” pack.
adidas UltraBOOST DNA “Yuanxiao”
Adidas
Adidas
Adidas
Release Date: February 8
Release Price: $180 USD
Where to Buy: adidas
Why You Should Cop: Rife with patterns and resplendent with embellishments, adidas’s lifestyle-geared UltraBOOST DNA “Yuanxiao” is a celebration of the lauded lantern festival that occurs on the final day of the Chinese New Year. A stark black base is swathed in colorful floral styles and features gold trim/accents, making for a regal homage to one of China’s most notable celebrations.
Helly Hansen x PUMA Collection
Puma
Puma
Puma
Puma
Release Date: February 8
Release Price: $110-$140 USD
Where to Buy: PUMA
Why You Should Cop: Joining forces for a second time, Helly Hansen and PUMA have presented a four-silhouette capsule inspired by the great outdoors. With technical takes on the LQD CELL, RS-X3 Mid, Future Rider and Ralph Sampson Low, the offerings all feature adventurous color schemes and technical details that are equally as rooted in city streets as they are on mountain peaks.
