Nike SB Dunk Low "What the P-Rod" Celebrates Paul Rodriguez in This Week's Best Footwear Drops
Alongside the debut of the AMBUSH x Nike Dunk “Cosmic Blue,” the arrival of the adidas YEEZY QNTM “Flash Orange” and more.
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There’s no mid-month malaise in sneaker culture this week: the world’s biggest brands have a healthy helping of drops to serve up. These arrivals include collaborations from Nike and Jordan Brand, new joints from Kanye West and adidas‘ YEEZY partnership and even an in-line version of a popular New Balance collaboration, but before we get into this week’s finest drops let’s take a primer on what went down last week.
On the footwear feature front, HYPEBEAST explored the story behind the mysterious Air Jordan 1 KO and, in the latest installment of Sole Mates, spoke to NBA star Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers about his love for the Nike Blazer. Celebrity collaborators had many a moment as well: we got a look at the Travis Scott x Nike Air Max 1 “Cactus Jack,” the omnipresent Drake previewed the NOCTA Nike Hot Step Air Terra “Snakeskin” and Skepta showed off both his first collaborative football boot and his Air Max Tailwind V “Bloody Chrome.” Other Nike kicks to make noise included a Kobe 6 Protro “Mamba Forever” that paid homage to Kobe and Gianna Bryant, plus a release date announcement for the CLOT x Nike Air Max 1 “K.O.D. Cha” and another for the EU/APAC arrival of the A Ma Maniére x Air Jordan 3 “Raised By Women.”
As always, there was plenty of Dunk news on both the Nike Sportswear and Nike SB front, namely official images of the SB Dunk Low “What the P-Rod” and early glimpses at the UNDEFEATED x Nike Dunk Low for the Indy 500, a Dover Street Market x Nike Dunk Low, the Parra x Nike SB Dunk Low, a Magnus Walker x Nike SB Dunk High, a Dunk Low “Scrap,” a Dunk Low “Camo” and a style that looked like it was straight out of the “Ugly Duckling” pack.
New Balance had one of its busiest weeks in recent memory too, thanks to a trio of terrific collaborations. The biggest one of these was the official announcement of the highly-anticipated BAPE x New Balance 2002R collection, but NB purists were thankful to see the return of the beloved 990v3 as well with both Bodega and Joe Freshgoods revealing collaborative iterations.
Last but not least, the above-mentioned Kanye West’s adidas YEEZY line had quite a week. The YEEZY QNTM “Flash Orange” was officially announced, as was a tentative release date for the YEEZY BOOST 700 MNVN “Honey Flux.” News of a YEEZY BOOST 350 V2 “Blue Tint” restock gained steam, and we also got a first look at the UV-reactive YEEZY BOOST 350 V2 “Light.”
Now that we’re done recapping, let’s get into this week’s 10 best releases. When you’re done parsing through these choice drops, you can also head over to HBX to check out even more new footwear styles.
AMBUSH x Nike Dunk High “Cosmic Blue”
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: May 18
Release Price: $180 USD
Where to Buy: Nike SNKRS JP
Why You Should Cop: Much in the same way she’s displayed a knack for blending high fashion and street style, AMBUSH founder Yoon Ahn has seamlessly combined motorsports and hoops on the new AMBUSH x Nike Dunk High “Cosmic Blue.” Featuring a classic basketball-themed color scheme with elongated Swooshes that draw from the world of motorsports, the “Cosmic Blue” may be the best AMBUSH Dunk yet.
Casablanca x New Balance 327 and 237 “Red Monogram”
Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca
Release Date: May 21
Release Price: $195 USD (327) and $170 USD (237)
Where to Buy: Casablanca
Why You Should Cop: At this point, Charaf Tajer’s Casablanca and New Balance’s 327s/237s are essentially joined at the hip. For their latest go-around — and fourth collaboration in just over two years — the two partners have dressed each style in a luxurious red and green monogram pattern to provide a look that screams sporty elegance.
CLOT x Nike Air Max 1 “K.O.D. Cha”
Heison Ho/Hypebeast
Heison Ho/Hypebeast
Heison Ho/Hypebeast
Release Date: May 21
Release Price: $170 USD
Where to Buy: JUICE
Why You Should Cop: Inspired by the hot tea that usually follows a reflexology treatment, CLOT and Nike’s Air Max 1 “K.O.D. Cha” is a spiritual successor to their iconic Air Max 1 “Kiss of Death.” Although its translucent paneling and outsole foot chart may be familiar, the “K.O.D. Cha” writes its own narrative with a rich color scheme and special insole detailing, brewing up a must-have look for any CLOT fan.
Air Jordan 1 Low OG “Ghost Green”
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: May 21
Release Price: $130 USD
Where to Buy: Nike SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: The first “OG” style Air Jordan 1 Low to release since Travis Scott’s Air Jordan 1 Low collaboration in 2019, the Air Jordan 1 Low OG “Ghost Green” brings a healthy dose of modern flair to a classic model. Apart from its vivid signature hue, the “Ghost Green” puts forth mini Swooshes on the forefoot, metallic heel hits and exposed foam collars for an updated, upgraded look.
Reebok Pump Omni Zone II “White”
Reebok
Reebok
Reebok
Release Date: May 21
Release Price: $140 USD
Where to Buy: Reebok and Foot Locker
Why You Should Cop: One of the most notable retro basketball models in Reebok’s archives, the Pump Omni Zone II made a triumphant return earlier in 2021 and now it’s releasing in its second colorway of the year: white, black and orange. Supplying a more summer-ready look than its black-based predecessor, this Pump Omni Zone II serves up classic hoops style that’s completed by a signature orange Pump button on the tongue.
A Ma Maniére x Air Jordan 3 “Raised by Women”
Kyle Reyes/Hypebeast
Kyle Reyes/Hypebeast
Kyle Reyes/Hypebeast
Release Date: May 22
Release Price: $200 USD
Where to Buy: Foot Locker and EU/APAC Nike SNKRS sites
Why You Should Cop: This week is really and truly your last chance at a retail pair of the A Ma Maniére x Air Jordan 3 “Raised by Women.” Following up an AMM-exclusive release in April, it’s back at very select European and APAC retailers plus SNKRS sites, and is even arriving to a handful of Foot Locker stores. Wish yourself luck: it’s sure to sell out at the speed of light once again.
adidas YEEZY QNTM “Flash Orange”
Sneakertigger
Release Date: May 22
Release Price: $250 USD
Where to Buy: adidas and YEEZY Supply
Why You Should Cop: One of the most striking models in the May adidas YEEZY lineup, the YEEZY QNTM “Flash Orange” takes an autumnal color scheme and translates it for summer wear. With its bold build and striking eponymous hue, it’s decidedly a head-turner — and a comfortable one too thanks to its full-foot BOOST cushioning setup.
Paris Saint-Germain x Air Jordan 7
Sneakertigger
Sneakertigger
Sneakertigger
Release Date: May 22
Release Price: $215 USD
Where to Buy: Nike SNKRS and Foot Locker
Why You Should Cop: The Air Jordan 7 “PSG” is the star of French football club Paris Saint-Germain and Jordan Brand’s latest set of apparel and footwear. It might be one of the partners’ most technical designs yet as well, thanks to the translucent TPE on its quarter and collar. By combining this new-jack detail with a familar white, red and blue scheme equal parts PSG and AJ 7 “Olympic,” it also makes for a fitting nod to the endlessly innovating French football club.
New Balance 550 “Oak Leaf/Deep Green Sky”
New Balance
New Balance
New Balance
Release Date: May 22
Release Price: $110 USD
Where to Buy: New Balance and HBX
Why You Should Cop: No Aimé Leon Dore collaboration? No problem. New Balance is ensuring that its wildly popular 550 will see wider distribution this year, and one of its best in-line styles is this vibrantly-colored “Oak Leaf/Deep Green Sky” makeup. Blending eye-catching tones with a quality construction, it’s a must for any NB fanatic or hype monger who missed out on the ALD collaborations.
Nike SB Dunk Low “What The P-Rod”
Yankee Kicks
Yankee Kicks
Yankee Kicks
Release Date:May 22 (Skateshops) and May 24 (Nike SNKRS)
Release Price: $150 USD
Where to Buy: Nike SNKRS and The Berrics Canteen
Why You Should Cop: Is Paul Rodriguez to Nike SB what Michael Jordan is to Jordan Brand? It’s up for debate, but what’s not debatable is that P-Rod played a key part in the rise of SB — and that he’s had more impactful signature sneakers and special SB Dunks than anyone else on the SB roster, past or present. Now, several of those models have been brought together on the Nike SB Dunk Low “What the P-Rod,” a colorful tribute to P-Rod’s decade-plus as part of the Swoosh skateboarding family that’s just as much a piece of collage art as it is a sneaker.
