Born x Raised’s Nike SB Dunk Low Leads This Week’s Best Footwear Drops
Featuring support from MSCHF x Reebok, Bodega x ASICS, the launch of the Nike LeBron 21 and more.
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Paris Fashion Week is upon us once again and with the official start of Fall, this week’s footwear drops reflects the new season. Releases for the next seven days involves Nike, Jordan Brand, Reebok, Salomon, New Balance and ASICS as another broad range has been prepared for sneakerheads to enjoy. Let’s first review what’s gone down in the industry across the past week before hopping into the top ten drops to come.
Per usual, the Sole Mates series returned with another entry, this time featuring the Hypebeast Japan team and Sean Wotherspoon, who selected his adidas Gazelles for his feature. From there, our coverage of best footwear trends at events continued with breakdowns at both London and Milan Fashion Weeks.
As for the news, Nike made another play in its sustainability push — introducing used sneakers for sale online as part of its “Nike Refurbished” initiative. News that similarly surprised included the official reveal of the Tom Sachs x NikeCraft General Purpose Shoe “Summit White” — a shoe that was thought to be discarded due to controversy surrounding Sachs. Another breakdown from the Swoosh that caught eyes was the AMBUSH x Nike Air More Uptempo Low in its “Lilac” colorway. On top of these looks, JOOPITER revealed its original Supreme x Nike SB Dunk High samples that are now up for auction. Looking at the Jordan Brand side of things, first looks at both the Air Jordan 1 Low OG “Year of the Dragon” and Air Jordan 4 “Bred Reimagined” popped up as well.
Beyond the Swoosh, adidas Basketball made noise with the reveal of Anthony Edwards’ first signature shoe with the Three Stripes — the adidas AE1. New Balance rounded out the week of news with collaborations revealed featuring Stone Island, JUNYA WATANABE MAN and Salehe Bembury.
With all of the past week’s key news recapped, let’s dive into what drops you should have your eyes on this week. Afterwards, slide by HBX to shop footwear options that are available now.
Nike Air Footscape Woven “Natural and Brown”
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: September 26
Release Price: $160 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: For those keeping up with the year’s footwear news, the re-emergence of woven sneakers should come as no surprise. Per usual, Nike leaned on its key collaborators, in this case sacai and Union LA, to reintroduce a style that serves as a prevailing trend. With woven footwear, various silhouettes have donned the approach with the Air Footscape Woven as Nike’s best-known take. Its “Natural and Brown” look opts for a cow print finish at its horsehair leather upper, making it sure to provide ample attention with its unique finish.
Forget-me-nots x Jordan Air Ship
Forget-Me-Nots
Forget-Me-Nots
Forget-Me-Nots
Release Date: September 27
Release Price: ¥22,000 JPY (approx. $149 USD)
Where to Buy: Forget-me-nots
Why You Should Cop: In case the Air Jordan 1 is a bit too common for your liking, the Air Ship accomplishes a similar nod to MJ’s legacy with a look that doesn’t stray too far away from the AJ1 itself. Now, Jordan Brand has tapped emerging Japanese womenswear retailer Forget-me-nots to “reflect the beauty of a bud before it fully blooms.” The resulting colorway leans on white and gray hues with hints of lavender spread throughout.
MSCHF x Reebok Pump Omni Zone IX
Mschf
Mschf
Release Date: September 27
Release Price: $250 USD
Where to Buy: MSCHF
Why You Should Cop: The frequent rule-benders known collectively as MSCHF are back at it with another sneaker release, this time going from its collaboration with Crocs to a more conventional shoe design with Reebok. However, its detailing is far from average as the duo have presented the Pump Omni Zone IX with pump units scattered across the upper of two brightly-colored looks. The resulting sneaker is one part heritage, two parts chaos as it’s sure to prompt any onlookers to wonder what is going on with the shoe.
Nike Air Max 1 & Air Zoom Pegasus 40 “Familia”
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: September 27
Release Price: $130 USD to $140 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: Hispanic Heritage Month is back for 2023, running from September 15 to October 15. This year, Nike is celebrating “young Latinas everywhere who unapologetically move to the beat of their own drums.” Utilizing both the Air Max 1 and Air Zoom Pegasus 40, the two silhouettes carry vibrant colors that offer a distinct energy with their blending of purple, green, yellow, orange and brown.
Jah Jah x Salomon ACS Pro
Salomon
Salomon
Salomon
Release Date: September 28
Release Price: $230 USD
Where to Buy: Salomon
Why You Should Cop: Historically known for its technical gear, Salomon has quickly established itself as a major player in fashion within the last ten years. In accomplishing this, it has connected with a significant range of collaborators. Adding to the list, Parisian Afro-vegan restaurant Jah Jah joined forces with Salomon earlier this year and now reconnects with the brand on the ACS Pro. Its presentation leans on the mythical tale of “Kankourang” — the story of a child who embarks on an inner journey. A dark chocolate brown joins black, red, yellow and green detailing as co-branding can be spotted at the tongue.
Nike LeBron 21 “Akoya”
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: September 28
Release Price: $200 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: King James is gearing up for his 21st season in the NBA. At the same time, he and the Swoosh have cooked up his 21st signature shoe in the numbered Nike LeBron line. Building upon the success of the LeBron 20, the 21 features another low-cut, lightweight build. This time drawing inspiration from oyster shells, the shoe leads with an “Akoya” colorway that combines a “Light Bone” presentation with “Campfire Orange” accents, crafting a court-ready look that will have any baller ready for their basketball season.
The Whitaker Group x New Balance 9060 “Missing Pieces”
The Whitaker Group
The Whitaker Group
The Whitaker Group
Release Date: September 28
Release Price: $170 USD
Where to Buy: Social Status
Why You Should Cop: Having established its fourth retail division, The Whitaker Group embarks on its own adventure by teaming up with New Balance for a brand new multi-year partnership. To kick things off, it taps into a “Missing Pieces” theme that nods to the potential of youth to be the change they want to see in the world by outfitting the 9060 in two colorways. Each utilize a nubuck upper in their respective color arrangements as a loose-gauge mesh serves as the base in “Moonrock” and “Hazy Peach” respectively.
Born x Raised x Nike SB Dunk Low
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: September 28
Release Price: $130 USD
Where to Buy: Born x Raised
Why You Should Cop: The tragic death of Born x Raised co-founder Chris “Spanto” Printup had indefinitely delayed the brand’s collaborative Nike SB Dunk Low. However, it’s finally time for the shoes to reach the masses as Born x Raised prepares its drop of the highly-detailed kicks. Leaning on its “One Block at a Time” motto, various nods to the brand include special embroidery, a lenticular heel graphic, custom perforations and more.
Bodega x ASICS GEL-NYC “After Hours”
Bodega
Bodega
Bodega
Release Date: September 29
Release Price: $180 USD
Where to Buy: Bodega
Why You Should Cop: Boston-based retailer Bodega has teamed up with an array of footwear brands throughout 2023 — tapping everyone from HOKA to Vault by Vans. Now, it looks to ASICS and its recently-introduced GEL-NYC silhouette for this “After Hours” rendition that looks to the nighttime of cities with its purple “Plum Truffle” detailing. Its intricate build sees gritty textures intertwine with classic ASICS motifs.
Air Jordan 8 “Playoffs”
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: September 30
Release Price: $210 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: 30 years after its release, the Air Jordan 8 “Playoffs” is back. Last spotted in 2013, its primarily-black build is better than ever with a refresh that revisits all of its key details. Alongside the nubuck structure, the multi-colored heel overlay detailing adds hits of white and red. Red heel tabs similarly join the look as the rubber outsole dons its multicolored finish to complete the throwback colorway.
