Off-White™ x Air Jordan 5 Receives Top Billing in This Week's Best Footwear Drops
Alongside a veritable slew of other NBA All-Star-centric releases from Nike, Jordan Brand, adidas, New Balance and more.
In the days leading up to NBA All-Star Weekend, brands are pulling out all the stops for one of the most influential events of the 2020 sneaker calendar. There’s new hoop shoes, re-worked retros, experiential activations and compelling collaborative efforts aplenty, but before we bring you a dozen of the very best drops from the forthcoming week, let’s get a quick primer of what went down over the last seven days.
It was an eventful stretch for fans of Nike, with the Swoosh unveiling its full range of 2020 Olympic Games product as well as a swath of new collaborations. Olympic offerings included the unveiling of the long-awaited Air Zoom Alphafly NEXT%, a bold Nike SB collection designed in part by Parra and the debut of the Space Hippie” line — four sustainable silhouettes made of factory floor material. That wasn’t all though: at the NYC Future Sports Forum we were given a look at the latest and greatest collaborations, ranging from a new Off-White™ silhouette dubbed the Rubber Dunk, to AMBUSH Dunks with elongated Swooshes.
Separately, Jerry Lorenzo teased two new Air Fear of God 1 styles — “Black Suede” and “String.” Hiroshi Fujiwara showed off new fragment x Air Jordan 34s and fragment x Air Force 1 Highs with Velcro straps. It was also announced that 6 of the 10 best-selling athletic shoe models in 2019 came from Nike. It wasn’t all positive news though: StrangeLove Skateboards was forced to cancel the online release of its special-edition SB Dunk Low due to overwhelming bot attacks.
Although the Swoosh did indeed dominate the week, other brands had a say as well. Never quiet for long, Kanye West’s adidas YEEZY line gave us release dates for three new YEEZY BOOST 350 V2s: “Earth,” “Flax” and “Trail Light.” The YEEZY BOOST 700 MNVN in “Orange” was announced as a regional release, and the long-rumored YEEZY BSKTBL was once again reported for an All-Star Weekend drop — though at this point, we’ll believe it when we see it.
Got everything? Good. Let’s dive into a dozen of this week’s best drops. For a full list of releases check out our Drops page, and if you need a refresher on Nike/Jordan Brand or adidas’s complete slate of ASW kicks, we’ve got those for you as well.
adidas UltraBOOST 20 & DNA “5th Anniversary”
Adidas
Adidas
Adidas
Adidas
Adidas
Adidas
Release Date: February 11
Release Price: $180 USD
Where to Buy: adidas
Why You Should Cop: Encapsulating the UltraBOOST’s first five years on the market by way of a new UltraBOOST 20 and a homage-filled UltraBOOST DNA, this two-shoe pack from the Three Stripes is a mini history lesson. Style is provided by bold gradient fades and blue-black-white colorblocking, with comfort handled by now-omnipresent BOOST technology. Past, present and future in one place, complete with cloud-like cushioning? That’s a winning combo.
BAPE BLACK x Reebok Electrolyte & Aztrek 96
Bape
Bape
Bape
Bape
Bape
Release Date: February 12
Release Price: $330 USD (Electrolyte)/$295 USD (Aztrek 96)
Where to Buy: BAPE Shanghai
Why You Should Cop: Reebok’s Electrolyte and Aztrek 96 are both inherently sporty silhouettes from the ’90s, but thanks to new collaborative iterations with BAPE Black they’ve been given some high-end flair. Premium leathers, glossy metallic accents and tastefully placed BAPE branding make for an appealing amalgamation of two daringly divergent signature styles — both of which are presented in black and white colorways.
Air Jordan 1 “UNC to CHI”
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: February 13
Release Price: $170 USD
Where to Buy: Nike SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: Chapel Hill on the heel and Chicago on the forefoot, the Air Jordan 1 “UNC to Chi” tells the story of Michael Jordan’s journey from the Tar Heels to the Bulls in simple-yet-effective fashion. With a full leather upper, it also offers an air of elegance befitting of the greatest basketball player of all time. It may be a women’s exclusive, but it’ll be available in an extended size run — so male and female sneakerheads alike will be able to get their fill.
Nike LeBron 17 “Monstars”
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: February 13
Release Price: $225 USD
Where to Buy: Nike SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: LeBron James is getting a jump on his starring role in Space Jam 2 during All-Star Weekend thanks to his Nike LeBron 17 “Monstars.” With a potent dark purple and orange knit upper, the design provides a nod to the hoopin’ hues of the villainous creatures, and even adds special details like Space Jam insole branding and scaly, shaped tongue sheaths.
Joe Freshgoods x New Balance 992 & OMN1S “No Emotions Are Emotions”
New Balance
New Balance
New Balance
Release Date: February 14
Release Price: TBC
Where to Buy: In-Store Only (Chicago pop-up)
Why You Should Cop: Chicago-based creative force Joe Freshgoods and New Balance are presenting NBA-All Star-themed products in a different fashion, drawing from the heartfelt hues and warm feelings of Valentine’s Day for a 992 and OMN1S “No Emotions Are Emotions.” The 992s take on bold pink and red hues plus a supple suede and buttery leather combination, while the performance-geared OMN1S is based around a flat-faced emoji style print. Freshgoods is known for his cheeky flair and keen attention to detail, so this collection is sure to delight his legions of Windy City-based fans.
Nike Zoom Freak 1 “Employee of the Month”
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: February 14
Release Price: $130 USD
Where to Buy: Nike SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: Prince Akeem was “Employee of the Month” in Coming to America and Giannis Antetokounmpo has been Eastern Conference Player of the Month every single month this NBA season. Therefore, it seems only right that the reigning MVP’s latest Coming to America-themed Zoom Freak 1 gets a festive gold-and-plaid makeover that would make even the most hardened McDowell’s employee proud.
Pusha T x adidas Dame 6
Adidas
Adidas
Adidas
Release Date: February 14
Release Price: $140 USD
Where to Buy: adidas
Why You Should Cop: A collaboration between vicious Virginia Beach rhyme-spitter and powerful Portland point guard, the Pusha T x adidas Dame 6 is an acknowledgement of the duo’s rise to the top of their respective fields. With “I Am My Own Fan” printed on the medial midsoles and technical upper detailing, the shoe makes a bold statement both on and off the court. Damian Lillard also moonlights as rapper Dame D.O.L.L.A when he’s not servin’ work on the hardwood, so the story behind the collaboration is even more pure.
Off-White™ x Air Jordan 5
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: February 15
Release Price: $225 USD
Where to Buy: Nike SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: The most standout piece from Nike and Jordan Brand’s eight-party “8×8” collection, Virgil Abloh’s Off-White™ x Air Jordan 5 is a masterclass in deconstruction. With thin, semi-translucent synthetic uppers, oval-shaped pieces that are designed to be cut out and plenty of Helvetica text branding — plus the ubiquitous ziptie — these bold AJ5s are an artful evolution of Abloh’s “Ghosting” designs.
adidas YEEZY 700 V3 “Alvah”
Yeezy Supply
Release Date: February 15
Release Price: $200 USD
Where to Buy: YEEZY Supply
Why You Should Cop: Streamlined, sleek and sans BOOST cushioning, the adidas YEEZY 700 V3 is a step in a bold new direction for Kanye West’s footwear line, and it’s continuing a strong start to 2020 with an “Alvah” colorway. Mixing black and grey hues, the “Alvah” offers a subtle look that defers to the unique construction, playing up the plastic midfoot cage and shaped midsole.
Air Jordan 3 “Unite”
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: February 15
Release Price: $200 USD
Where to Buy: Nike SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: Taking obvious cues from MJ’s Bulls, the Air Jordan 3 “Unite” is undeniably classic and completely Chicago. With a bold red leather upper, signature elephant print and original Nike Air branding on the heel, it’s a definitive nostalgia-inducing design. There’s even an alternate version with a Jumpman and “CHI” instead of “AIR” on the heels, but that’s a Chicago-exclusive release.
Tom & Jerry x Reebok Collection
Reebok
Reebok
Reebok
Reebok
Release Date: February 15
Release Price: $100-$200 USD
Where to Buy: Reebok
Why You Should Cop: Tom & Jerry have been playing a game of cat and mouse (literally) for 80 years, so Reebok is showing the bumbling predator and resourceful prey some love with a four-shoe collection. Tom is front and center on a furry Instapump Fury, while Jerry takes top billing on a duo of Club Cs: one fuzzy Revenge, one OG style with an all-over print graphic. Finally, feline and rodent coexist in harmony on yet another OG Club C. This light-hearted capsule is unquestionably a delight for fans young and old alike.
Jordan Brand “New Beginnings” Pack
Nike
Release Date: February 15
Release Price: $350 USD
Where to Buy: TBC
Why You Should Cop: Although this week proffers a veritable cornucopia of hyped drops, nothing has struck the fancy of purists quite like Nike and Jordan Brand’s “New Beginnings” pack. Consisting of the first-ever Air Ship retro and a new white/red colorway of the Air Jordan 1 Hi ‘85, this dynamic duo of kicks is a beautifully crafted homage to the silhouettes Michael Jordan sported during his rookie season. Unfortunately it’ll be quite difficult to get your hands on: it’s not slated for an online release, and will likely only pop up in limited numbers during All-Star Weekend.
