AMBUSH and Nike's Motorsport-Inspired Dunk High "Cosmic Fuchsia" Revs Up This Week's Best Footwear Drops

The shortest — and typically coldest — month of the year is upon us, and the world’s biggest footwear brands are ready to warm the chilly days ahead up with some high-heat drops. Over the first week of February, we’ll see a veritable plethora of collaborations that range from high-end brands to gritty, granola-y, sustainable styles, and we’ve compiled the best of the best below. However, before we dive into this week’s drops let’s take a primer on what went down in the final days of January.

For the latest installment of Sole Mates, HYPEBEAST sat down with former Supreme creative director and NOAH founder Brendon Babenzien to talk about the Solovair Gibson. We also shined a spotlight on emerging sneaker brands like Virón, SCRY™ Lab, Good News and Roscomar, and asked Paperboy Paris why its New Balance 992 collaboration is inspired by a fried egg.

Though the Dunk is usually the toast of the Nike world these days, it may have been outshined by the Air Jordan 1 this week. We saw official images of the long-awaited Air Jordan 1 “Neutral Grey,” the Trophy Room x Air Jordan 1 and the Aleali May x Air Jordan 1 High Zoom CMFT while also receiving an early look at the Air Jordan 1 “Light Fusion Red.” This isn’t to say there wasn’t Dunk news however: Nike SB made waves with the SB Dunk Low “Club 58,” the SB Dunk Low “Pink Pig” and the SB Dunk Low “ACG Caldera.” Moving to Nike Sportswear, the Dunk High “Team Red” and Dunk Low “Hyper Cobalt” each joined the festivites.

Other Swoosh and Jumpman news was quite varied. The COMME des GARÇONS HOMME PLUS x Nike Foamposite One was arguably the most striking shoe of the week, and the sacai x Nike Vaporwaffle “Black/Gum” brought some variety to the ever-expanding Vaporwaffle lineup. Adaptability took center stage with the Nike Go Flyease, hikers had a moment in the sun with an exclusive HAVEN Nike ACG Mountain Fly, and Nike Sportswear’s spring 2021 Air Max lineup was revealed. Rounding things off for the Swoosh was an official look at the Air Jordan 3 “Cool Grey,” on-foot shots of the Air Jordan 12 Low “Easter” and the reveal of an Oklahoma Football Air Jordan 5 PE.

Lastly, we saw four YEEZY slides from adidas and Kanye West, plus concept orthopedic shoes from Craig Green and adidas. John Elliot revealed his first-ever boot, Prada debuted a racing-themed sneaker and New Balance announced a “My Story Matters” collection for Black History Month.

Now that you’re caught up, check out 10 of this week’s best kicks directly below. Per usual, 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.

atmos x adidas ZX 8000 and ZX 2K Boost “Setsubun” Pack

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Release Date: February 2
Release Price: ¥15,950 JPY/¥20,350 (approximately $153 USD/$195 USD)
Where to Buy: adidas and atmos
Why You Should Cop: In Japanese lore, the beginning of spring is a time of new beginnings, growth and festivities. atmos and adidas’ “Setsubun” pack, made up of colorful takes on the ZX 8000 and ZX 2K BOOST, interprets this period of time in colorful fashion. How does it achieve this feat? By working in everything from intricate woven details to base colors that represent the mythical demons for a multi-pronged, modern day footwear homage.

AMBUSH x Nike Dunk High “Cosmic Fuschia”

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Release Date: February 4
Release Price: $180 USD
Where to Buy: Nike SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: AMBUSH co-founder Yoon Ahn loves motorsports and basketball, so she combined them on her new AMBUSH x Nike Dunk High “Cosmic Fuchsia.” Taking one of the most seminal hoops silhouettes in Nike history and giving it a racing-ready makeover with motorcycle tailpipe-inspired Swooshes that extend well beyond the heel plus a bright fuchsia color scheme, this Dunk is a certified first place finisher.

Carhartt x Converse Chuck 70 Hi Collection

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Release Date: February 4
Release Price: $120 USD
Where to Buy: Converse and Fenom
Why You Should Cop: In footwear, like so many other things, simplicity is key — and if something ain’t broke, it doesn’t need to be fixed. Carhartt WIP and Converse took both of these time-honored pieces of advice to heart on their latest collaboration, and the end result is two clean, sturdy and striking takes on the Chuck 70 Hi, made of durable canvas and boasting either classic brown or understated camo uppers.

STORY mfg. x Reebok Beatnik and Club C

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Release Date: February 4 (STORY mfg. exclusive)/February 6 (Global)
Release Price: $130 USD (Beatnik)/$120 USD (Club C)
Where to Buy: Story MFG and Reebok
Why You Should Cop: Peace, goodwill and sustainability are front and center on STORY mfg. and Reebok’s new Beatnik and Club C. Each features a vegan textile construction plus blue peace sign embroidery while adding its own pop of flair: the Beatnik is fully backless for traditional mule style, and the Club C encourages its wearer to “forage for wisdom” on the tongue tag.

Pharrell x adidas NMD Hu “Cream”

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Release Date: February 5
Release Price: $220 USD
Where to Buy: adidas
Why You Should Cop: Ahead of the curve since his days with The Neptunes, Pharrell outdid himself again with his new adidas NMD Hu “Cream.” Apart from its crisp, clean colorway and signature shape, Skateboard P rolled out the “Cream” with robots — who delivered it to everyone from David Beckham to his former Star Trak accomplice Pusha T. Though you may not be able to have your pair delivered to you in this fashion, the “Cream” is still a great way to adopt a little of Pharrell’s style for yourself.

adidas ZX 9000 “YCTN”

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Release Date: February 5
Release Price: $160 USD
Where to Buy: adidas
Why You Should Cop: The latest silhouette in adidas’ extensive A-ZX line, the ZX 9000 “YCTN” is inspired by moccasins, even going as far as to have moccasin-style Z and X-shaped stitching running around its upper. Apart from this clever callout, it’s also constructed of ultra-premium black suede and nubuck, ensuring its quality lives up to the high standards established by its look.

Air Jordan 12 Low “Super Bowl”

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Release Date: February 6
Release Price: $190 USD
Where to Buy: Nike SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: A Super Bowl unlike any other at the end of an NFL season like any other deserves a shoe unlike any other, so Jordan Brand’s Air Jordan 12 Low “Super Bowl” mixes familiar and fresh in tribute. With a color scheme reminiscent of the Air Jordan 12 “Flu Game,” a mosaic-printed sockliner and “803” embellishments for a nod to the host city’s area code, the “Super Bowl” is a touchdown for any football fan or Air Jordan aficionado.

Dime x Reebok BB 4000

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Release Date: February 6 (Dime exclusive)/February 12 (Global)
Release Price: TBC
Where to Buy: Dime
Why You Should Cop: The botched restoration of Ecce Homo has long been a popular reference point for the Dime crew, and the Montreal-based skate mavens tapped it again on their duo of Reebok BB 4000 collaborations. A tan and black colorway is more skate-oriented while a white and blue makeup is all retro hoops, but both bring things back together with similar tongue branding and a seamless melding of boarding and balling style.

Air Jordan 5 “Anthracite”

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Release Date: February 6
Release Price: $190 USD
Where to Buy: Nike SNKRS and Foot Locker
Why You Should Cop: February 6 is a two Air Jordan kind of saturday, and arriving besides the above-mentioned Air Jordan 12 Low “Super Bow” is the Air Jordan 5 “Anthracite.” A fresh take on the classic AJ5 “Black Metallic,” the “Anthracite” rearranges its OG counterpart’s hi-vis reflective material for a pieced-together look that juggles heritage and innovation in a way slightly reminiscent of Virgil Abloh’s Off-White™ x Air Jordan 5.

New Balance 237

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Release Date: February 6
Release Price: $85 USD
Where to Buy: New Balance
Why You Should Cop: No, what you see above is not a New Balance 327 typo. It’s the, well, new New Balance 237. Much like the silhouette it’s one digit away from, the 237 reinterprets ’70s running style for the modern-day lifestyle consumer in a colorful, compelling package. And be honest: it’s pretty hard to beat an $85 USD price point too.