Air Jordan 5 "Fire Red" Heats up This Week's Best Footwear Drops
Alongside plenty of collaborative Converse Chucks, WTAPS’ military-inspired New Balance 992 and more.
May is right around the corner, and the world’s biggest footwear brands are starting the new month/sending off April in style with a diverse slate of drops. There’s Air Jordans both classic and new, compelling collaborations, signature hoop shoes and more — but before we dive into the vat of forthcoming footwear, let’s take a brief refresher on last week’s goings-on.
The news around upcoming Nike collaborations was undeniably strong. Cactus Plant Flea Market was one of the Swoosh’s biggest collaborative partners in 2019, a relationship that’s set to continue into 2020 with two fresh Dunks. UNDEFEATED is reportedly working on a trifecta of Air Max 97s, and Stüssy has readied a black and gray take on its Air Zoom Spiridon Cage 2, adding further to the roster of its early “shoe of the year” contender. That wasn’t the only Stüssy Spiridon news though. We were also given an on-foot look at the Spiridon KK, a laceless shoe that adds the Nike Air Kukini’s signature upper cage for a hybrid build.
Jordan Brand made some noise with several Air Jordan 1s, ranging from the luxurious “Satin Snake” to the sporty “Game Royal,” the latter of which is an update on a popular style from February 2018. Rare PEs continue to be turned into accessible GRs, with early rumors swirling that the Air Jordan 5 “Oregon” would release this fall.
Virgil Abloh and Kanye West had their standard moments in the spotligh toot. Abloh offered a rare look at the process behind his design-work by revealing the first-ever Off-White™ x Air Jordan 1 sample. Meanwhile, West’s omnipresent YEEZY BOOST 350 V2 popped up in new “Asriel” and “Israfil” colorways. West’s YEEZY cohort Jon Wexler also sat down for the first installment of adidas’s new “Creator Class,” and partook in an exclusive Q&A session for HYPEBEAST as well.
On the sports front, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s brand-new Nike Zoom Freak 2 was unveiled, offering a striking departure from his first model. Reebok and Nice Kicks got into the action with a special Question “Bubba Chuck,” inspired by Allen Iverson’s love of fishing. Moving from the hardwood to the gridiron, Nike Football whipped up special NFL Draft footwear for some of its newest team members like #1 overall pick Joe Burrow. Lastly, the COVID-19 coronavirus continued to exact a steep toll on businesses: adidas’s Q1 sales fell 19% from last year, and StockX was forced to lay off 12% of its workforce.
Now that you’re caught up, take a look at a hand-selected list of this week’s dozen best releases below. Head over to our Drops page to see more, and — as always — please note that some releases may well be pushed bac due to COVID-19’s adverse impact.
Carhartt WIP x Converse Chuck 70 Low “Camo” & “Hamilton Brown”
Converse
Converse
Converse
Converse
Converse
Release Date: April 28
Release Price: $110 USD
Where to Buy: Converse
Why You Should Cop: Carhartt WIP and Converse continue to make hard work look easy, readying a third set of Chuck 70s in less than a year — and this dashing duo brings each heritage brand’s defining characteristics straight to the forefront. “Camo” and “Hamilton Brown” styles present heavy canvas uppers and special tongue branding, making for lifestyle kicks that are simultaneously simple, sturdy and statement-making.
mita x STUDIO SEVEN x New Balance ML850
New Balance
New Balance
New Balance
Release Date: April 28
Release Price: $137 USD
Where to Buy: mita
Why You Should Cop: What do you get when a retailer, brand and major footwear company come together? If it’s mita, STUDIO SEVEN and new Balance, you get a vibrant take on the ML850. This three-headed collaboration is centered around a light-hearted cartoon macron graphic, and is packed full of hidden details for fans of all three collaborative parties to find as well.
COMME des GARÇONS PLAY x Converse Chuck 70 Collection
Dover Street Market
Dover Street Market
Dover Street Market
Dover Street Market
Dover Street Market
Release Date: April 29
Release Price: TBC
Where to Buy: Dover Street Market
Why You Should Cop: COMME des GARÇONS PLAY and Converse’s extensive slate of collaborative Chucks has gained four new members, each equipped with an all-over print. These latest “Converse with the hearts” offer a loud, heavily branded look that’s not for the faint of heart (pun intended), and are set to release exclusively at Dover Street Market this week before hitting other retailers on May 15.
Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 37
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: April 30
Release Price: $120 USD
Where to Buy: Nike and Finish Line
Why You Should Cop: Entering its fifth decade(!) on the market, Nike Running’s Pegasus line continues to be a paradigm of innovation, and that evolutionary ethos is clearly visible on the brand-new Air Zoom Pegasus 37. Combining a full-length React foam footbed with large Zoom Air unit in the forefoot, the Pegasus 37 offers a ride both cushioned and responsive at an extremely palatable price point — a rarity in today’s world of high-priced performance footwear. It’ll be available in multiple colorways as well as both standard and Flyease lacing options.
adidas ZX 2K 4D “Dash Green”
Asphalt Gold
Asphalt Gold
Asphalt Gold
Release Date: May 1
Release Price: $220 USD
Where to Buy: Asphalt Gold
Why You Should Cop: With 4D tech becoming more and more available, adidas has introduced its futuristic blend of style and substance onto various hybrid lifestyle silhouettes. One of these is the ZX 2K 4D, a shoe that’s now appeared in “Dash Green.” Minty fresh from top to bottom and offering a few pops of flair to boot, these crisp kicks combine a turn-of-the-century upper with a next-generation latticed midsole.
WTAPS x New Balance 992
Wtaps
Release Date: May 1
Release Price: TBC
Where to Buy: WTAPS
Why You Should Cop: When brands with the stature of Tetsu Nishiyama’s WTAPS link with footwear companies like New Balance, good things usually happen — and that’s certainly the case with these 992s. For its first-ever NB collaboration, WTAPS has added a signature military aesthetic to the vast majority of the shoe, but let the top set of overlays retain traditional tan and silver tones. This makes for a look that combines NB and WT aesthetics in an undeniably appealing fashion.
Mountain Research x Reebok Alien Stomper
Reebok
Reebok
Reebok
Release Date: May 1
Release Price: TBC
Where to Buy: Mountain Research
Why You Should Cop: US Colonial Marine couture at its finest, Mountain Research’s take on Reebok’s Alien Stomper is an undeniably fashionable version of a onetime movie prop. With its crisp white leather upper and how-to manual-esque embellishments like “Keep Strapped to Hold Firmly” on the forefoot strap, MR has brought the Stomper’s space-age style down to earth in an extremely appealing fashion. It’s set to release on the Mountain Research website this week, then will see a limited drop at global Reebok retailers next week.
Air Jordan 4 “Metallic Red” & “Metallic Orange”
Nike
Nike
Nike
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: May 1
Release Price: $190 USD
Where to Buy: END. (Metallic Red) and Nike SNKRS CN (Metallic Orange)
Why You Should Cop: Two of the four Air Jordan 4 “Metallic” releases planned for 2020, the “Metallic Red” and “Metallic Orange” are rolling out in a somewhat confounding fashion, with the former seemingly appearing at a handful of Asian retailers and the later popping up at a smattering of European stockists. However, one thing’s for sure: this is your first chance at snagging two perfect warm weather Air Jordans, with crisp white leather bases and bold, high-gloss metallic hardware that are bound to make a statement.
adidas Nite Jogger “3M Scotchlite Pack”
Adidas
Adidas
Adidas
Adidas
Adidas
Release Date: May 1
Release Price: $130 USD
Where to Buy: adidas
Why You Should Cop: As a shoe that’s all about visibility, it only seems right for adidas’s Nite Jogger to get covered in 3M’s reflective Scotchlite material. Arriving in red and grey, these special Nite Joggers offer a tonal upper swathed in special Scotchlite branded hits and a giant 3M logo on the medial side. If you’re looking to be seen in all situations, these are a perfect shoe for you.
Nike KD 13 “Home Team”
Nike
Release Date: May 1
Release Price: $150 USD
Where to Buy: Nike and Foot Locker
Why You Should Cop: Although Kevin Durant has yet to set foot on an NBA court as a member of the Brooklyn Nets, he’s clearly hyped about his new squad in the Big Apple — and his Nike KD 13 “Home” is too. With a Nets-style white and black upper plus colorful Coogi sweater-esque collages on collar and outsole, these KDs are a salute to Brooklyn style, both on and off the hardwood.
size? x adidas SL76 “Green/Yellow”
Size?
Size?
Size?
Release Date: May 2
Release Price: TBC
Where to Buy: size?
Why You Should Cop: size? has dipped into the expansive adidas Originals archive once again to resurrect the SL76. Returning in its original green/yellow palette, this slim and lightweight sneaker features true-to-the-original details like a sleek nylon upper, suede T-toe and toothed gum sole, making for yet another bold SL line bringback.
Air Jordan 5 “Fire Red”
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: May 2
Release Price: $200 USD (Men’s), $140 USD (Kids), $80 USD (Toddlers), $60 USD (Infants)
Where to Buy: Nike SNKRS, Foot Locker and Livestock
Why You Should Cop: Back in all its original glory, the Air Jordan 5 “Fire Red” is ready to make a summertime statement. The crisp white, black and red assemblage and metallic silver tongue are sure to be immediately familiar to any AJ5 fan. However, the best part of this carefully remade classic is undoubtedly the king-sized Nike Air hit on the heel, an OG detail that hasn’t been seen since 2000’s retro iteration.
