The Air Jordan 1 "Electro Orange" Electrifies This Week's Best Footwear Drops
The AURALEE x New Balance 550, Prada x adidas A+P LUNA ROSSA 21 and the Xbox x Space Jam x Nike LeBron 18 Low are also in the mix.
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We’re almost half way through July, and to propel us into the second half of the Summer month, sneaker brands have readied a plethora of new footwear releases for you to beef up your collections. Just before we get into the top releases of the week, let’s first recall of the biggest news that went down in the world of kicks last week.
On the features front, our usual Sole Mates series was back on its regular scheduled programming as we had the chance to sit down with Coral Studios co-founder Ismaila “Ish” Traore to talk about his relationship with the Air Force 1. He had plenty to share about the classic hoops-turned-lifestyle silhouette, including his love for the “Invisible Woman” colorway and what sneaker culture was like between Harlem and Florida.
As usual, the Beaverton-headquartered companies of Nike and Jordan Brand came out firing with news last week. The former officially unveiled its snakeskin-covered Dunk Low “Dunk vs. AF1” collaboration with UNDEFEATED, announced release details for the Off-White™ x Nike Air Force 1 “University Gold”, saw the Scarr’s Pizza x Nike Air Force 1 Low sell for over $120K USD at a Sotheby’s auction and provided a closer look at the Dunk Low “SiEMPRE Familia”. Detailed shots of the UNC-friendly Dunk High “Aluminum” also emerged, along with first images of the NBA x Nike Dunk Low “Brooklyn Nets” makeup and up-close photos of the KAWS x sacai x Nike Blazer Lows. On the Jordan side, Aleali May lead the way by teasing her upcoming Air Jordan 4 “Veteran’s Day” collaboration and in-depth shots of the Air Jordan 1 Low “Mighty Swooshers” surfaced.
adidas got in on all of the action as well as it unveiled a playful adilette Slide collaboration with Jeremy Scott, an adidas ZX 8000 “Halloween” colorway that’s decorated with pumpkin-inspired chenille patches and a new 4D Cush silhouette. Its sister brand Reebok chipped in a few striking pieces as well including its Philadelphia Phillies inspired Question Low and a Premier Road Modern Mid project with KANGHYUK.
Luxury brands also provided a fair share of news last week. We got closer looks at Travis Scott’s forthcoming Dior “B713” along with Dior’s new B30 “dad shoe”. Additionally, Jerry Lorenzo and his Fear of God family officially unveiled (and sold out) his highly anticipated “The California” Slip-On silhouette.
Are we all caught up to speed? Perfect. Check out this week’s top 10 launches below, and be sure to head over to HBX to check out new footwear styles.
Nike ISPA Flow 2020 “Desert Sand” and “Pure Platinum”
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: July 13
Release Price: $180 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: The Nike ISPA Flow 2020 hasn’t seen too much action since first dropping in 2020, but that will soon change as a duo of new colorways are officially heading into our midst. For those who prefer a more bold and earthier type of vibe, the “Desert Sand” offering can serve you well as most of the ground is wrapped in a rustic orange hue. Its releasing sibling — the “Pure Platinum” — falls on the more neutral side of the spectrum and will certainly pair well with more outfits.
Nike Air Max 90 “Legacy”
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: July 14
Release Price: $140 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: Sustainability is a practice that Nike is heavily pushing with its product as of late, and this new Air Max 90 “Legacy” for the ladies is a direct reflection of that. It’s upper half is forged with the patchwork aesthetic and is made from repurposed materials making for a lifestyle offering that’s both appealing to the eye and friendly to the environment. Heel branding has been altered from its usual mold and arrives with a felt-like material and retro Nike lettering.
Nike Air Max 97 “Purple Bullet”
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: July 15
Release Price: $170 USD
Where to Buy: Foot Locker
Why You Should Cop: To this day, the Nike Air Max 97 remains to be one of the strongest models in its Sportswear category, and now it’s gearing up to launch in a striking “Purple Bullet” colorway. This particular offering keeps many of the original design cues that you’d find on the model’s popular “Silver Bullet” such as the metallic uppers, but it features titular tiny Swooshes and Air units that nod to the Air Max 97/BW “Persian Violet”.
AURALEE x New Balance 550
Auralee
Auralee
Auralee
Release Date: July 16 (Japan), July 26 (Global)
Release Price: TBC
Where to Buy: AURALEE
Why You Should Cop: Ever since Aimé Leon Dore reintroduced the New Balance 550 to the world in 2020, the basketball-turned-lifestyle silhouette has become one of the most highly acclaimed sneakers on the market, and now Auralee is putting its creative spin on it. Opting for the monochromatic motif, the Japanese imprint dresses up this low-cut model with a full off-white exterior from top to bottom that can certainly pair well with anything in your closet.
Xbox x Space Jam: A New Legacy x Nike LeBron 18 Low
Xbox
Xbox
Xbox
Release Date: July 15
Release Price: $220 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: Space Jam: A New Legacy that stars LeBron James is hitting theaters this Friday, and so Nike and Xbox is doing right by the four-time NBA champion and crafting a special LeBron 18 Low colorway for him. The mismatching pairs are designed to represent Wile E and Roadrunner, and come packaged with a specially designed Xbox controller.
Space Jam: A New Legacy x Converse Chuck 70 Hi
Converse
Converse
Converse
Release Date: July 16
Release Price: $120 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: In celebration of the release of Space Jam: A New Legacy, Converse is chiming in on the fun and launching a special Chuck 70 Hi collaboration. The kicks are predominantly executed in black, but feature oversized Tune Squad patches that affix to the lateral panels and bursts of orange, red and yellow from the cartoon characters’ signature logo on the medial side.
New Balance 990v2 “MADE 990 Version Series”
New Balance
New Balance
New Balance
Release Date: July 16
Release Price: $120 USD
Where to Buy: New Balance
Why You Should Cop: New Balance’s “MADE 990 Version Series” is rolling right along with a fresh take atop the 990v2. Design-wise it opts for for the brand’s signature gray theme and brings in ruby red details across the tongue and heel branding as well as the mid-foot tabs to reference its “Ruby” anniversary. Whether you’re feeling the dad shoe look or simply just want a versatile option to keep in rotation all-year long, these would be a great pick up.
Reebok Kamikaze II Low “Spearmint/Maximum Orange”
Reebok
Reebok
Reebok
Release Date: July 16
Release Price: $100 USD
Where to Buy: Reebok
Why You Should Cop: The Reebok Kamikaze II is an important piece of the vector brand’s catalog as it’s mostly associated with NBA legend Shawn Kemp. Its low-cut offering has now been reworked in a striking “Spearmint/Maximum Orange” colorway that channels heavy 1996 NBA All-Star Game vibes. Kemp suited up for this particular game wearing the Kamikaze II Mids, and the vibrant accents on the shoe are closely resemblant of his threads.
Air Jordan 1 “Electro Orange”
Sneaker Politics
Sneaker Politics
Sneaker Politics
Release Date: July 16
Release Price: $170 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: The Air Jordan 1 still remains as Jordan Brand’s strongest silhouette, and now its Retro High OG offering is getting an “Electro Orange” makeover. Given the way that this installment sports orange, black and white color-blocking, many are comparing it to the AJ1’s famed “Shattered Backboard” series. Most of the shoe is predominantly dressed in white and black, but the titular pops atop the collars and outsoles give the shoe a burst of nostalgic and bold personality.
Prada x adidas A+P LUNA ROSSA 21
Adidas
Adidas
Adidas
Release Date: July 19
Release Price: $650 USD
Where to Buy: CONFIRMED
Why You Should Cop: Crossover collaborations between Prada and adidas are slated to continue this week with two new iterations of the A+P LUNA ROSSA 21. “Mgh Solid Grey/Matte Silver/Red” and “Core Black/Red” are included in this assortment, both of which are designed with a sleek and low-cut upper construction and come loaded up with BOOST cushioning for a cloud-like ride.
