J Balvin’s Air Jordan 3 Embraces the “Medellín Sunset” in This Week’s Best Footwear Drops

It’s out with the old and in with the new as the transition from London to Milan Fashion Week is accompanied by another slate of releases from the footwear space. This time around, the usual suspects of Nike and Jordan Brand have combined with Crocs, Clarks and PUMA for a unique lineup of sneaker releases. However, before we break things down from today until next Monday, let’s go over what happened in the world of sneakers last week.

On the feature end, another Sole Mates entry arrived courtesy of Chad Muska and his signature shoe from 25 years ago — the éS Muska. The veteran skater chatted about everything from his come up in skating to creating the first $100 USD skate shoe. Hypebeast also connected with PUMA global creative director Heiko Desens about the return of FENTY x PUMA alongside its re-launch. Our fashion week coverage also continued with a best footwear trends round-up at New York Fashion Week.

Looking at brand announcements, Nike Basketball did not hold back as its Nike World Basketball Festival hosted a thorough collection of what’s to come from the brand. Leading up to this, the brand revealed both Devin Booker’s first signature shoe — the Nike Book 1 — and LeBron James’ latest sneaker — the Nike LeBron 21. That wasn’t all for the LeBron 21 as complete breakdowns of its “Pearlescent Orange” and “Akoya” colorways surfaced while the basketball division also shared its 25-piece holiday preview.

Elsewhere in the industry, a new slip-on sneaker from norda was spotted alongside a second Fear of God x adidas Rivalry Low 86 preview. New Balance also made noise with its projects featuring The Whitaker Group, Stone Island and skater Andrew Reynolds.

Now that you’re up to speed on the latest and greatest from the sneaker industry, let’s go ahead and outline the top ten drops of the next seven days. Following this, don’t forget to hit up HBX to shop footwear options that are available to purchase immediately.

Levi’s x Crocs Classic and All-Terrain Clogs

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Release Date: September 19 and 21
Release Price: TBC
Where to Buy: Levi’s and Crocs
Why You Should Cop: Crocs has quickly established itself as a collaborative powerhouse. Hot off of its Shrek-themed pair, it has switched gears by teaming up with Levi’s on three Japanese-inspired Clogs. The first two utilize the traditional Sashiko stitching technique — offering special linework throughout the denim uppers of the All-Terrain Clog. Joining this, the Classic Clog has been equipped with blue and white tie-dye that draws from the Shibori dyeing method. Each slip-on comes with a set of thematic Jibbitz charms and features notable Levi’s hits such as the Two Horse-Pull stamp at the footbed.

Nike Zoom LeBron 4 “Graffiti”

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Release Date: September 19
Release Price: $240 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: While LeBron James and Nike Basketball continue to push their collaborative Nike LeBron series forward, the duo hasn’t shied away from revisiting its archive. For 2023, an emphasis has been placed on the LeBron 4 and some of its most-coveted colorways. One such look is the “Graffiti” take that launched with a mere 250 pairs made available back in 2006. Now, it has again been sprayed across the Zoom Air-backed silhouette in its white, black and red color arrangement once again.

Billionaire Boys Club x Clarks Wallabee

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Billionaire Boys Club/Clarks

Release Date: September 19
Release Price: TBC
Where to Buy: Billionaire Boys Club
Why You Should Cop: When it comes to diamonds and dollars in streetwear, one brand comes to mind — Billionaire Boys Club. The unapologetically-confident brand has long carried the two across its various offerings over the years and now sees the motif grace the Clarks Wallabee. The juxtaposition of the two styles offers an eye-catching sight with bold colorways of “Quercia,” “Spiaggia” and “Fanta” offered.

Nike ISPA Mindbody “Black and White”

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Release Date: September 20
Release Price: $180 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: It may not look like it at first glance, but the ISPA Mindbody is designed as “the new definition of rest and relaxation.” Backed by a plush foam midsole, the shoe has stood out throughout its debut year thanks to its unique upper. The Flyknit finish sports unique patterning while maintaining Nike’s circular design philosophy with its zero glue construction.

PSG x Air Jordan 6 Low

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Release Date: September 20
Release Price: $200 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: Lionel Messi and Neymar may have moved on from Paris Saint-Germain, but Jordan Brand hasn’t. The football club has received a plethora of collabs over the last few years and now takes on the low-top version of the Air Jordan 6. Hits of “Cement Grey” are joined by “Magma Orange” accents that include a special heel label that nods to the team’s home stadium — Parc des Princes.

A-COLD-WALL* x Nike TN98 “Stone” & “Onyx”

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Release Date: September 21
Release Price: $220 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: Following a set of Converse projects, A-COLD-WALL* made its return to the Swoosh last week with a refresh of the Air Max Plus. Nicknamed the TN98, it again appears in “Stone” and “Onyx” colorways that tap into the design language of architects with its strong geometry and linework. The material composition has also been adjusted with full-grain leather treated to degrade rapidly while laser-etched branding serves as a callout to the duo.

Noah x PUMA Pro Star Indoor

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Release Date: September 21 and 23
Release Price: $155 USD
Where to Buy: Noah and PUMA
Why You Should Cop: In case tennis remains on your mind after the exciting conclusion of the US Open just over a week ago, Noah and PUMA have you covered. The duo dipped into the PUMA archive to pull out the Pro Star Indoor. Refreshing the court shoe, a supple white leather upper is accompanied by strong hits of green at the color and above the midsole while a gum bottom rounds things out neatly.

J Balvin x Air Jordan 3 “Medellín Sunset”

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Release Date: September 23
Release Price: $250 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: It’s finally time for the J Balvin x Air Jordan 3 “Medellín Sunset” to touch down on shelves. After months of previews, the much-anticipated shoe is ready to drop. The “Coconut Milk” backdrop graces the premium leather upper while a “Solar Flare” gradient lights up the heel. Underneath the shoe, a semi-translucent outsole serves as the final note for fans of the Colombian artist to enjoy.

Albino & Preto x Nike SB Dunk Low

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Release Date: September 23
Release Price: $130 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: Sure, Nike SB is all about skateboarding, but that doesn’t mean they can’t step outside the box and tap into other sports as well. The latest sport to be fused with skating is jiu-jitsu as Albino & Preto puts its own spin on the SB Dunk Low. Its heavy gauge canvas draws inspiration from gi fabrics and textures while wear-away layering nods to the belt system of jiu-jitsu.

Air Jordan 2 “Black Cement”

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Release Date: September 23
Release Price: $175 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: 35 years ago, the Air Jordan 3 stepped onto the scene and reignited the collaborative line between Nike and Michael Jordan. In celebration of this, one of its classic colorways — the “Black Cement” look — has now been recreated on the Air Jordan 2. Its upper has been coated in black while hits of gray adorn the heel, lining, tongue and rubber outsole. Akin to its predecessor, red accents add color to the arrangement at the tongue and heel branding elements.