Union LA Combines Two Classic Air Jordan 1s in This Week's Best Footwear Drops

We’re nearing the end of the second month of 2025 and it’s clear that brands are back in midseason form as Nike, Vans, Jordan Brand, adidas, New Balance and ANTA have all prepared notable drops to look out for this week. Before we give you the full rundown on which pairs in particular you should consider copping, let’s first look back at the last seven days and review which sneaker headlines stood out.

Nike had two new silhouettes draw eyes last week — Wale previewed the GT Future at NBA All-Star Weekend and the Swoosh unveiled its new $100 USD Air Max Fire sneaker. Another bit of news from ASW included a better look at both the Nike SB x Air Jordan 4 “Navy” and its F&F-exclusive counterpart in “Varsity Red.” Supreme’s SS25 lookbook included the reveal of a new Air Max 1 ‘87 project while a rumor surrounding five UNDEFEATED Air Max 95s also popped up.

As for Jordan Brand, it would seem that the Jumpman team hasn’t forgotten about the Air Jordan 5’s 35th anniversary as first looks at Awake NY’s “Arctic Pink” colorway and the returning “Fire Red” both popped up. We also received word that Paris Saint-Germain has its own AJ5 arriving alongside a matching Air Jordan 4 RM. Rounding things out for the Swoosh, Converse offered a closer look at what to expect from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s upcoming SHAI 001.

Elsewhere in the industry, Salehe Bembury officially teased his forthcoming New Balance 991v2 “Colors Be The Palette” after an early pair leaked. We also got a first look at a new Kith x New Balance 2010 collaboration. The Three Stripes had a standout week for itself as Damian Lillard revealed the adidas Dame X and Donovan Mitchell offered a first look at the adidas D.O.N. Issue #7. We also previewed Bad Bunny’s new adidas Ballerina silhouette in “Bold Gold.”

Now that you’re up to speed on what’s been going on in the sneaker space, let’s take a look at which key pairs are dropping this week, starting with the latest from Nike’s .SWOOSH platform. Once you’ve made your way through the list in its entirety, be sure to slide by HBX to shop styles that are available now.

Nike Air Max 1 Low Poly “Adventure”

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Release Date: February 26
Release Price: $150 USD
Where to Buy: .SWOOSH
Why You Should Cop: Nike is again bridging the gap between the physical and digital worlds thanks to its web3-oriented .SWOOSH platform. It introduced the “Low Poly” version of the Air Max 1 last year and has brought back the retro gaming-inspired version of the shoe for another makeover, this time taking on a Tomb Raider-based color scheme with its “Adventure” colorway. In order to purchase a pair, .SWOOSH members have to complete a digital quest that will grant them access to the sneaker when it drops this week.

Nicole McLaughlin x Vans Slip-On RS

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Release Date: February 26 and 27
Release Price: $130 USD
Where to Buy: Nicole McLaughlin and Vans
Why You Should Cop: Nicole McLaughlin is back with a new take on Vans’ iconic Slip-On silhouette. The DIY designer has again applied new elements to the sneaker, this time adding a rucksack-like pocket to the toe box. Adjustable nylon straps are also included and offer a chance to further customize the shoe. The outdoor theme continues with a lugged tread pattern at the outsole for ample traction. Meanwhile, it dons color schemes of off-white and gray, offering even more versatility.

Air Jordan 4 NET “Triple Black”

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Release Date: February 26
Release Price: $210 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: All eyes were on the Air Jordan 4 last year as Jordan Brand celebrated the legendary model’s 35th anniversary, which starred the introduction of two new takedown models: the Air Jordan 4 RM and Air Jordan 4 NET. While the former released in many different colorways, the latter appeared at the end of the year in just one look of all-white. Now, the women’s-exclusive model is back in a “Triple Black” that inverts not only the color scheme, but trades out golden charms for silver ones.

Union LA x Air Jordan 1 High OG “Varsity Red”

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Release Date: February 27
Release Price: $200 USD
Where to Buy: Union LA
Why You Should Cop: When looking back at the most prominent sneaker drops of the 2010s, Union LA’s two Frankenstein-d Air Jordan 1 High OGs must be included in the conversation. Adding the collar of one OG colorway atop another was a bold design choice and is being revisited again here with this new “Varsity Red” pair. This take on the approach combines the beloved “Chicago” colorway with the collar of the “Shadow” look to create a new finish that features blue contrast stitching and Union LA co-branding.

Sporty & Rich x adidas Handball Spezial

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Release Date: February 27
Release Price: $130 USD
Where to Buy: adidas
Why You Should Cop: Emily Oberg’s Sporty & Rich has been on a hot streak with adidas. The duo first came together in late 2022 and have dropped many sneaker collaborations since. Now, they’ve returned to the Handball Spezial to prepare it in three new colorways that are sure to be a hit this season. Uppers of “Dark Green,” “Night Indigo” and “Shadow Red” combine a smooth suede upper with leather detailing. A gum sole backs each pair alongside Sporty & Rich branding that is present at the tongue tag and above the white lateral Three Stripes in gold.

Joe Freshgoods x New Balance 992 “Aged Well”

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Release Date: February 28
Release Price: $220 USD
Where to Buy: New Balance
Why You Should Cop: In case you missed out on last week’s launch, the Joe Freshgoods x New Balance 992 “Aged Well” is back again for a second round. The pair, which celebrates five years of collaborations between Freshgoods and New Balance, was quick to depart from shelves last week and is likely to meet a similar fate this time around. The salmon, pink, orange and brown composition features weathered detailing and special co-branding on both the sneaker and its unique packaging.

ANTA KAI 2 “Artist on Court”

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Release Date: February 28
Release Price: $140 USD
Where to Buy: ANTA
Why You Should Cop: After an exciting debut year for ANTA and Kyrie Irving, the two are back to present the ANTA KAI 2. Once again channeling Irving’s artistic side, the new model embraces his unique self and is set to arrive in many different themed colorways, starting with this “Artist on Court” rendition. A reimagined version of ANTA’s logo appears at the lateral midfoot while a new textured velvet lace system offers flexible lockdown thanks to its dual-lace structure.

Pharrell x adidas Superstar 92

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Release Date: March 1
Release Price: $200 USD
Where to Buy: adidas
Why You Should Cop: It’s time for Pharrell’s two takes on the adidas Superstar 92 — aka the “Double Wide” — to launch globally. The oversized renditions of the Superstar emphasize its unique structure as colorways of “Core White” and “Core Black” lean on the sneaker’s most iconic color schemes. Colorful lacing options of pink and yellow respectively add a hint of flavor to each pair while a nod to Pharrell’s home state of Virginia appears at the tongue branding.

Air Jordan 12 “Flu Game”

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Release Date: March 1
Release Price: $210 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: Wednesday, June 11, 1997 — Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls were in Salt Lake City to take on the Utah Jazz for Game 5 of the NBA Finals. Suffering from illness — which was later to be revealed as food poisoning — Jordan overcame his condition and put up 38 points to win the pivotal game. He did so wearing the Air Jordan 12 in this black and red colorway that has since been referred to as the “Flu Game” pair. Last spotted in 2016, the sneaker is back once again this week.

Fear of God Athletics II Basketball “Putty Beige”

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Release Date: March 1
Release Price: $180 USD to $200 USD
Where to Buy: adidas
Why You Should Cop: Introduced at the end of 2024, Fear of God and adidas’ collaborative Fear of God Athletics II Basketball sneaker is back for its second drop. Appearing in both its mid and high-top forms, it dons a new “Putty Beige” colorway that sees the upper presented in a rich taupe hue. From there, a semi-translucent milky white hits the sole unit, which is backed by black Fear of God branding at the midsole’s heel. Rounding things out, the upper portion of the heel carries adidas branding in a gum brown.