Salehe Bembury and ANTA's SB-02 and SB-01 Stand Atop This Week's Best Footwear Drops
Accompanied by Blondey McCoy’s final see-through adidas Superstar, the adidas UltraBOOST 21, Maison Margiela and Reebok’s Tabi-toed Classic Leather and more.
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It’s the last week of January, and the world’s biggest footwear brands are sending the first month of 2021 off with a flourish. This week’s release slate is one of the more varied in recent memory, ranging from Salehe Bembury‘s ANTA collaborations to a new chapter for the adidas UltraBOOST, a Maison Margiela x Reebok sneaker, hand-dyed Stüssy x Nike Air Force 1s and much more. Before we dive into the 10 best offerings from these next seven days, however, let’s take a look at what went down last week.
The latest edition of Sole Mates saw Blondey chat with HYPEBEAST about his fifth and final adidas Superstar collaboration, his history with the model and what he’ll be up to next. We also provided closer looks at CLOT’s Air Jordan 14 Low and Air Jordan 35 collaborations plus Melting Sadness and adidas’ Superstar. Lastly, we paid a visit to SNIPES’ new Brooklyn store and checked out its “Dunks Since 1985” pop-up museum.
As always, there was plenty to be seen and heard on the Nike Dunk front. An eBay Dunk-like Dunk Low “Free.99” appeared in both white and black colorways, and though it may be the dead of winter autumnal color palattes had quite a moment: the Dunk High appeared in both “Dark Curry” and “Dark Russet,” the SB Dunk High showed up in “Baroque Brown” and the Dunk Low received a “Medium Curry” makeover. Rounding things off in the world of Dunk was a first look at an UNDERCOVER collaboration and a sporty Dunk Low “College Navy.”
sacai and Nike made a considerable amount of noise as well, paring with Jean Paul Gaultier’s couture department for a high-cut, moccasin-like take on the Vaporwaffle and showing off two forthcoming colorways of a Blazer Low collaboration. In the world of hoop shoes, J. Cole and PUMA revealed the new DREAMER 2, Dwyane Wade and Li-Ning announced the Way of Wade 9, the LeBron 10 “Ring Ceremony” won Nike SNKRS’ “Vote Back” challenge and Kobe Bryant’s Nike Kobe 6 “All-Star” appeared in Protro form.
A plethora of Jordan Brand sneakers received official images, namely the Air Jordan 12 Low “Super Bowl,” the Air Jordan 5 “Anthracite,” the Air Jordan 1 “Silver Toe” and the Air Jordan 1 Low “Tropical Twist.” UNC Tar Heels Football revealed an Air Jordan 5 PE as well, and the week’s news was rounded off by a The Simpsons x adidas ZX 10000 “Krusty Burger” and two new iterations of the Jaden Smith x New Balance Vision Racer.
All caught up? Check out 10 of this week’s best kicks directly below. As always, note that any pairs listed below may be pushed back due to the continued effects of the coronavirus and head over to HBX to check out even more new footwear styles.
Salehe Bembury x ANTA SB-02 and SB-01
Peden+munk
Peden+munk
Peden+munk
Peden+munk
Peden+munk
Peden+munk
Peden+munk
Release Date: January 26
Release Price: $90 USD (SB-02) and $120 USD (SB-01)
Where to Buy: Spunge
Why You Should Cop: Teased for months, bolstered by a robust seeding list, presented in a multitude of colorways and supplying plenty of unique style, Salehe Bembury and ANTA’s SB-02 and SB-01 are finally set to release. The first is a low-cut hiker with oval design language while the latter is a two-piece high top with a bootie that can be worn independent of its outer shell Each also utilizes a proprietary Nest cushioning technology designed by Bembury himself. While the looks may be energetic, the price points are decidedly calming: the SB-02 is only $90 USD and the SB-01 isn’t much higher at $120 USD.
Nike Dunk Low “Firecracker”
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: January 27
Release Price: ¥999 CNY (approximately $154 USD)
Where to Buy: Nike SNKRS CN
Why You Should Cop: One of the boldest styles from Nike, Jordan Brand and Converse’s recent Chinese New Year pack, the Nike Dunk Low “Firecracker” is a wholehearted homage to festive fireworks. Boasting a bright color scheme and bottle rocket-like details, the “Firecracker” celebrates the year ahead in light-hearted fashion.
adidas UltraBOOST 21
Adidas
Adidas
Adidas
Adidas
Adidas
Adidas
Adidas
Adidas
Adidas
Release Date: January 28
Release Price: $180 USD
Where to Buy: adidas
Why You Should Cop: With an exaggerated heel design that boast 6% more BOOST than the line’s previous models, the adidas UltraBOOST 21 marks a new chapter for the Trefoil running division’s flagship model. Apart from its updated take on a beloved piece of adidas tech, it’s set to be available in a veritable swath of both men’s and women’s colorways.
J. Cole x PUMA DREAMER 2 “January 28”
Puma
Puma
Puma
Release Date: January 28
Release Price: $135 USD
Where to Buy: PUMA and Foot Locker
Why You Should Cop: J. Cole’s name holds weight in both the rap game and the hoop game, and now he’s readied his second signature PUMA basketball shoe. The DREAMER 2 — a follow-up to last year’s RS-Dreamer — is set to debut in a yellow and black “January 28” colorway inspired by a track of the same name from Cole’s 2014 album Forest Hills Drive. It’s also releasing on January 28, which happens to be his birthday.
Stüssy x Nike Hand-Dyed Air Force 1
Stüssy
Release Date: January 29
Release Price: TBC
Where to Buy: Stüssy
Why You Should Cop: Stüssy and Nike’s popular Air Force 1 collaboration from 2020 is back, and honestly it might be better than ever. The hemp sneaker has been given five different hand-dyed makeovers by California-based outfit Lookout and Wonderland, each meant to represent one of Stüssy’s “World Tour” cities. Quantities are extremely limited, but these DIY masterpieces are a must for any hardcore Stüssy fan.
Paperboy Paris x New Balance 992
Paperboy Paris
Release Date: January 30
Release Price: TBC
Where to Buy: Paris exclusive
Why You Should Cop: Paperboy Paris already has a few New Balance collaborations under its belt, but the Parisian outfit’s new 992 collaboration is undeniably its biggest yet. Boasting an ultra-crisp white, tan and yellow color scheme, Paperboy’s latest NB will release exclusively at a pop-up in Paris this week, and the brand has hinted at a global launch in the coming days as well.
Maison Margiela x Reebok Classic Leather Tabi “Bianchetto”
Reebok
Release Date: January 30
Release Price: $350 USD
Where to Buy: Reebok and Maison Margiela
Why You Should Cop: Maison Margiela and Reebok’s latest collaboration is an artful reinterpretation of Margiela house codes — or, in layman’s terms, it’s a Tabi-toed sneaker with a hand-painted upper that chips during wear for a personalized look. It may not be for everyone, but it is one of the most striking and unique styles of the week, sure to be (or ta-bi, if you’d prefer) gone from retailers in a flash.
Blondey x adidas Superstar “Schwartz Tint”
Adidas
Adidas
Adidas
Release Date: January 30
Release Price: £90 GBP (approximately $123 USD).
Where to Buy: adidas UK and THAMES MMXX
Why You Should Cop: The subject of last week’s Sole Mates, Blondey and adidas’s final see-through Superstar collaboration is a classic “Schwartz Tint” colorway. Revamping the timeless black and white Superstar with a translucent TPU upper, the design is a fitting farewell to the two’s five-part Superstar series, a great canvas for colorful sock expressions, and a compelling lead-in to the Gazelles Blondy will release later this year.
Hajime Sorayama x Mizuno WAVE PROPHECY
Mizuno
Mizuno
Mizuno
Release Date: January 30
Release Price: ￥38,500 JPY (approximately $370 USD)
Where to Buy: 2G
Why You Should Cop: Does it surprise you that Hajime Sorayama’s sneaker collaborations are as big, bold, and metallic as his artwork? It shouldn’t, as Sorayama is a master of robotic maximalism. His Mizuno Wave Prophecy is inspired by his hyper-realistic, chromed out robots and boasts a sleek, seamless silver upper above a midsole that uses Mizuno’s proprietary Wave tech from heel to toe. It’s releasing at 2G this week and will hit DSM Tokyo and KITH Tokyo next week.
Air Jordan 9 “University Gold”
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: January 30
Release Price: $190 USD
Where to Buy: Nike SNKRS and Foot Locker
Why You Should Cop: The Air Jordan 9 “University Gold” almost looks like a high school PE for Carmelo Anthony or Chris Paul, but it’s in fact a bold, gold-accented take on Michael Jordan’s ninth signature sneaker. Mixing pops of gold with a black and gray base, the “University Gold” is both elegant and sporty, making for a worthwhile addition to the Air Jordan canon.
