"Neutral Grey" and Trophy Room Air Jordan 1s Lead This Week's Best Footwear Drops
The dashing duo of Air Jordan 1s are accompanied by the Air Jordan 6 “Carmine,” Stüssy’s Nike Huaraches and much more.
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Though the NBA All-Star Game was supposed to go down this week before COVID-19 necessitated its postponement, the world’s biggest footwear brands are filling the void with the strongest release slate of 2021 to date. There’s a duo of appealing Air Jordan 1s from Jordan Brand, the bringback of a beloved Air Huarache collaboration from Nike, a Palace x adidas release and so much more, but before we get into it let’s look back at what went down last week.
For starters, it was an undeniably full week on the feature front. We chatted with Jimmy Gorecki about his JSP x Vault by Vans Chukka 79, a homage to Philadelphia’s legendary Love Park, and also riffed with Montreal’s Dime on the meaning behind its Reebok BB 4000 collaboration. A roundup of the best footwear collaborations from Digital Fashion Month FW21 gave a preview of what’s to come over the course of the year, and the latest installment of Sole Mates saw Mike Cherman discuss his love for the visvim Christo. Lastly, we unpacked the return of Stüssy’s Nike Air Huarache collaboration.
Shortly after the above-mentioned feature, official images of the Stüssy x Nike Air Huarache “Desert Oak” were revealed, as was the return of the Nike Air Huarache “Scream Green.” Thanks to none other than DJ Khaled, we were given a look at the revamped CLOT x Nike Air Max 1 “Kiss of Death,” and also got peeks at the sacai x Nike Vaporwaffle “Dark Iris,” the UNDERCOVER x Nike OverBreak and what exactly was inside the Tom Sachs x Nike Mars Yard 2.5 wear test kit. Air Force 1 lovers had plenty to be happy about, namely a brief glimpse at the OVO x Nike Air Force 1 and the KITH x Nike Air Force 1 “Paris.” On a technical standpoint, the Nike Go Flyease was revealed as well — marking a revolution in the Swoosh’s hands-free footwear designs that, funnily enough, Jimmy Fallon thought he invented in 2019.
In the world of Jordan Brand, we were given an official look at the impending return of the Air Jordan 6 “Carmine” and the Air Jordan 11 Low “Citrus.” Zion Williamson received an Air Jordan 35 “Voodoo” PE, and the Jumpman spent some time on the golf course as well with the Air Jordan 4 G “White Cement.” Rounding things off, the Salehe Bembury x New Balance partnership continued with the reveal of a new hiking shoe and adidas released two new models: the YEEZY 500 High “Shale Warm” and YEEZY 500 High “Mist Slate.”
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.
Air Jordan 1 Hi ‘85 “Neutral Grey”
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: February 10
Release Price: $200 USD
Where to Buy: Nike SNKRS, Foot Locker and Stadium Goods
Why You Should Cop: The Air Jordan 1 “Neutral Grey” is one of the most simple shoes in the entire Air Jordan lineage. However, there’s beauty in simplicity — especially simplicity that’s never retroed and become a darling of Instagram archive pages — so this straightforward-yet-impactful sneaker sits atop this week’s drop list. The “Neutral Grey” is seeing its first-ever re-release since its debut in 1985, and is even arriving in Hi ‘85 style, largely reported to be the AJ1’s most accurate re-release yet. It’s limited to a mere 23,000 pairs as well, so you can expect it to be a tough get.
JSP x Vault by Vans Chukka 79
Shannon Brown/@cobra24
Shannon Brown/@cobra24
Shannon Brown/@cobra24
Release Date: February 10
Release Price: TBC
Where to Buy: Lapstone & Hammer and Nocturnal
Why You Should Cop: Jimmy Gorecki’s first-ever Vans collaboration, the JSP x Vault by Vans Chukka 79, is a love letter to famed former Philly skate spot Love Park. Boasting tags from Love Park veteran Joe Lees on its checkerboard midsole and a high-quality upper crafted with the same attention to detail as JSP’s famed sweatsuits, this Chukka 79 is truly a shoe with a story.
Trophy Room x Air Jordan 1
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: February 10
Release Price: $190 USD
Where to Buy: Trophy Room and Stadium Goods
Why You Should Cop: Inspired by the famed 1985 NBA All-Star Game “freeze-out,” in which veteran players reportedly refused to pass a brash rookie Michael Jordan the ball, Trophy Room’s new Air Jordan 1 collaboration aims to explore a famed — yet largely unprobed — piece of Air Jordan lore. From its “Chicago”-esque base colors to its icy sheen and ASG-inspired details, Trophy Room’s latest is top-tier fodder for Air Jordan fanatics and will only be available via raffle from 10AM-11:30 AM EST on February 10.
CLOT x Air Jordan 14 Low “Terracotta”
Heison Ho/Hypebeast
Heison Ho/Hypebeast
Heison Ho/Hypebeast
Release Date: February 11
Release Price: $200 USD
Where to Buy: Nike SNKRS and Foot Locker
Why You Should Cop: CLOT founders Edison Chen and Kevin Poon always aim to bridge the gap between the Eastern and Western world with their collaborative designs, so CLOT’s new Air Jordan 14 Low combines design cues from China’s famed “Terracotta Army” with an under-the-radar Jordan silhouette. An archaeological color scheme, matted suede build, armor-like details and more ensure that the shoe’s look is as grand as its historic inspiration.
Bandulu x Converse Chuck 70 Hi and Pro Leather
Converse
Converse
Converse
Release Date: February 11
Release Price: $115 USD
Where to Buy: Converse and Bandulu
Why You Should Cop: It’s safe to say that Bandulu’s new Converse collaborations are a beautiful disaster in footwear form. Consisting of earthy-toned Chuck 70 His and Pro Leathers each dressed in Bandulu’s signature “paint splatter” embroidery hits, both offer a wonderfully messy look, one that’s so wild it simply works.
Stüssy x Nike Air Huarache “Desert Oak” and “Dark Olive”
Stüssy
Stüssy
Release Date: February 12
Release Price: $120 USD
Where to Buy: Stüssy
Why You Should Cop: Nike Sportswear has a tried-and-true method of reintroducing archival silhouettes: lead with a compelling collaboration, follow up with popular in-line colors. In 2021, that collaborator is Stüssy and that silhouette is the Air Huarache. Beginning the Huarache’s 30th anniversary celebration, Stüssy has brought back the famed color palettes from its 2000 Huarache collection and first-ever Nike collaboration, setting the stage for a new generation of sneakerheads to fall in love with the seminal Tinker Hatfield design. A release will go down via the Stüssy webstore this week, then hit Nike SNKRS the following week.
Palace x adidas Stan Smith Collection
Palace
Palace
Palace
Palace
Release Date: February 12
Release Price: TBC
Where to Buy: Palace
Why You Should Cop: Palace recently rolled out its highly-anticipated Spring 2021 collection, and one of the standouts is this duo of Stan Smith collaborations. One offers bright pastels, the other a tweaked take on the Stan’s famed white and green colorway. Both, however, swap out the midfoot’s standard perforated lines in favor of a “P,” and switch Trefoil to tri-ferg on one foot’s heel for a signature dash of branded flair.
Air Jordan 6 “Carmine”
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: February 13
Release Price: $200 USD
Where to Buy: Nike SNKRS and Foot Locker
Why You Should Cop: This is a heck of a week for Air Jordan aficionados, isn’t it? After the two Air Jordan 1s listed above release, sneakerheads will have a chance to get their hands on the beloved Air Jordan 6 “Carmine” — an OG style from 1991 that’s getting its first retro release since 2014 and even boasts an original Nike Air hit on the heel.
New Balance 990v5 “My Story Matters”
New Balance
Release Date: February 15
Release Price: $180 USD
Where to Buy: New Balance
Why You Should Cop: One half of New Balance’s special Black History Month collection, the 990v5 “My Story Matters” is a tip of the cap to large part of Black culture: Sunday church service. More specifically, it’s a joyous celebration of Black church musicality that acknowledges gospel choirs and the colorful, flowing robes they often wear.
Nike Go Flyease
Nike
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: February 15
Release Price: $120 USD
Where to Buy: Nike
Why You Should Cop: The first truly hands-free shoe from Nike, the Go Flyease is a technical marvel centered around a “kickstand heel” and “diving board” tech that enables the wearer to slide in and out of their shoes without even bending over. This week is an “invite only” drop for Nike members before a full global release later this year, so be sure to sign into your Nike Plus account if you’re aiming to purchase a pair.
