'The Wizard of Oz' and Nike's SB Dunk Low Shimmers in This Week's Best Footwear Drops
Arriving alongside anticipated releases from JJJJound x New Balance, NIGO x Nike, Travis Scott x Jordan Brand and more.
The year may be coming to a close soon but there’s plenty to look forward to during these final weeks of December, including another exciting lineup of sneaker releases coming from Nike, Oakley, Jordan Brand, New Balance and ASICS. Before we walk you through this week’s roster of drops, let’s first look back at what headlines stood out from the footwear space the past seven days.
Nike provided a preview of 20 shoes coming in the next year as part of its third SNKRS Showcase livestream. Outside of this, new rumors gave us an idea of what else we can look forward to from the Swoosh in 2025 as a Palace x Nike Air Max DN8 collab was discussed alongside word of Nike Basketball dropping a Kobe 3 Protro “Halo” and Kobe 9 Elite Low Protro “Moonwalker” next year. Additional Kobe-related headlines came in the form of on-foot previews of both the Kobe 8 Protro “What The” and Kobe 6 Protro “Dodgers.” Elsewhere, we got a better look at what to expect from the upcoming Supreme x Nike SB Dunk Low collection. As for Jordan Brand, it entered the mix with a preview of an Air Jordan 1 High ‘85 “Royal” and rumors involving a Nigel Sylvester x Air Jordan 1 Low OG “Nitro” and Air Jordan 11 “Sail.”
Meanwhile, the Three Stripes were busy with new collaborations being unveiled. Jerry Lorenzo teased a Fear of God Athletics II Basketball “Derrick Rose” sample and JJJJound had its “Made in Japan” Superstars leak ahead of its 2025 release. Kith also dropped a teaser of its own — highlighting the brand’s holiday-inspired XT-4K. Lastly, Bimma Williams shared his Collab of the Year video, featuring a variety of other creators to help address the topic.
Now that you’ve reviewed all of last week’s major moments, let’s dive into this week’s top sneaker drops, starting with the latest from Hiroshi Fujiwara and Nike. Once you make your way through the list of all 10 shoes, don’t forget to check out HBX to shop styles that are available now.
fragment design x Nike Air Zoom Spiridon
Nike
Nike
Nike
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: December 17
Release Price: $170 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: It’s been well over a year since we first spotted fragment design’s Nike Air Zoom Spiridons but it’s finally time for the black and white colorways to drop as Hiroshi Fujiwara’s label continues its legendary partnership with the Swoosh. The clean arrangements see the lifestyle sneaker equipped with subtle co-branding from the duo as the project arrives on shelves globally.
Oakley Factory Team Ibex
Oakley
Oakley
Release Date: December 17
Release Price: TBC
Where to Buy: Oakley and Brain Dead
Why You Should Cop: Brain Dead and Oakley have masterminded the return of the Oakley Factory Team project and made waves across fashion in the process. The forward-thinking collaborative line is back for its final Fall/Winter 2024 drop, introducing new colorways of silhouettes like the Edge Boot and Flesh Sandal while also bringing forth an all-new model with the Ibex. The outdoor-based design pairs a nylon lacing system with Oakley’s “O-Grip” outsole and a molded shape to create a functional-yet-fashionable style.
Air Jordan 12 “Blueberry”
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: December 18
Release Price: $210 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: One of two key Jordan Brand releases arriving this week is the Air Jordan 12 “Blueberry.” Equipped with a striking combination of “White” and “Game Royal,” the pair recreates the legendary “Cherry” look’s color blocking, substituting its red hue for this blue one. Metallic silver and black detailing bring additional depth to the sneaker, resulting in one of the silhouette’s cleanest looks to land on shelves lately.
JJJJound x New Balance 2002R GORE-TEX
Jjjjound
Jjjjound
Release Date: December 18 and 20
Release Price: TBC
Where to Buy: JJJJound (December 18) and New Balance (December 20)
Why You Should Cop: JJJJound and New Balance are a duo that seem unable to do any wrong as each project of theirs is loaded up onto their respective sites only to promptly result in a “Sold Out” screen minutes after launching. We’ll see if the two can keep this streak alive as they revisit the 2002R GORE-TEX with a new composition that sees an all-black finish accented by hints of blue around the heel.
atmos x ASICS GT-2160 “Tapetum”
Asics
Asics
Asics
Release Date: December 18
Release Price: ¥18,700 JPY (Approx. $121 USD)
Where to Buy: atmos
Why You Should Cop: atmos and ASICS have been locked in as a duo this year, bringing Japanese style to the world with one sneaker collab after another. Their latest, and likely final project of the year, sees the GT-2160 don a “Tapetum” theme that draws inspiration from the reflective layer found in the eyes of many animals. Its black and silver arrangement shines bright with 3M detailing while the two also brought a camo pattern to the sockliner to top it off.
NIGO x Nike Air Force 3 “Baroque Brown”
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: December 19
Release Price: $160 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: In case you missed out on last week’s limited launch of the NIGO x Nike Air Force 3 “Baroque Brown,” the Swoosh is offering another chance to pick up a pair for retail. Its autumnal arrangement pairs various browns with a forest green that enlivens the Swooshes, lining and midsole as the material composition ranges from leather to corduroy and horse hair. Special notes like the “NIGO Force” heel branding and thematic packaging round out the new duo’s latest release.
Nike Ja 2 “Christmas”
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: December 19
Release Price: $130 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: Ja Morant is one of several Nike Basketball athletes to see his newest signature shoe outfitted in a holiday-themed colorway. This time around, the Ja 2 reaches for the stars as it serves as a tree topper. The upper’s texture has been modified to take the shape of a Christmas tree, matching the golden hangtag and adjusted tongue branding.
The Wizard of Oz x Nike SB Dunk Low
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: December 20 and 23
Release Price: $135 USD
Where to Buy: Select Skate Shops (December 20) and SNKRS (December 23)
Why You Should Cop: It’s been over 85 years since The Wizard of Oz first hit the big screen, drawing inspiration from L. Frank Baum’s beloved story. The world of Oz has again been reimagined this year with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande’s Wicked and Nike SB has celebrated this with a poppy field-inspired take on the SB Dunk Low that nods to the franchise. Not only does it stand out with its standard form, but the upper’s initial layer is removable, leaving behind your own pair of ruby slippers when modified.
HIDDEN.NY x ASICS GEL-Venture 6 Shield
Asics
Asics
Asics
Asics
Release Date: December 20
Release Price: $160 USD
Where to Buy: ASICS
Why You Should Cop: HIDDEN.NY found its collaborative stride this year as projects with brands such as NEEDLES and ASICS took center stage. The mood board-turned-brand is back with another ASICS campaign to close out the year, presenting its own take on the GEL-Venture 6 Shield. It has again leveraged a white, silver and green color scheme across an ASICS shoe as subtle shouts to HIDDEN.NY appear at the tongue branding, heel tab and midsole.
Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Low OG “Dark Mocha”
Nike
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: December 21
Release Price: $150 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: Hot off of a must-see performance at Rolling Loud Miami, Travis Scott is continuing his incredible year of sneaker releases by dropping yet another take on the Air Jordan 1 Low OG. This “Dark Mocha” colorway follows the release of last month’s Jordan Jumpman Jack “Mocha” and sees the AJ1 presented in various brown hues while also featuring classic Scott touches like Cactus Jack branding and a flipped lateral Swoosh.
