With Summer fast approaching, there’s a slew of brands presenting new footwear designs created with warmer days in mind. The likes of Nike, Jordan Brand, adidas, ASICS and more are preparing new sneakers at the moment, but before we outline what drops are coming over the next week, let’s jump into what’s dominated the headlines over the last seven days.
Kicking things off on the feature front, Hypebeast dived into the Portland Art Museum’s new exhibition with curator, Elizabeth Semmelhack to discuss her career as a shoe historian, what went into the creation of Future Now and her thoughts on footwear’s future.
Moving onto traditional news, the Swoosh offered a first look at Matthew M Williams’ Nike Zoom MMW 6 TRD Run, while Hypebeast readers were also treated to a look at the Nike Field General ’82 in “Black/White.” Additionally, Lil Yachty gave a closer look at all four colorways of the Cactus Plant Flea Market x Nike Air Force 1 collab and PJ Tucker revealed his own pair of Nike Book 1 “Chapter 0” PEs.
Shifting away from Nike, April 26 officially became Clarks Wallabee Day and New Balance’s 990v6 appeared in “True Camo.” Rounding things out, the adidas Gazelle 85 got a “Patchwork” makeover from atoms and Dior delivered the B57 Low sneakers to keep people talking.
With all of footwear’s key news recapped, let’s run through 10 of this week’s best releases to be hitting stores worldwide. Afterward, don’t forget to hit up HBX to shop styles that can be purchased today.
Oakley Factory Team x Brain Dead Spring/Summer 2024
Release Date: April 9
Release Price: Approx. $160 USD
Where to Buy: Brain Dead
Why You Should Cop: When the first-ever Brain Dead x Oakley Factory Team collaboration was unveiled, it was quickly dubbed as the collaboration that the world never knew it needed. The collaborative efforts from the pair are a refreshing take on future-facing fashion — and now the duo is back with a brand new collection for Spring/Summer 2024. Featuring five all-new styles, the capsule includes a reimagined, laceless Chopsaw sneaker, with the shoe complemented by a melange of textures and shades. This is a common theme throughout the entire drop, with all of the silhouettes offering something different to create one of the most visually unique footwear collections of the year.
Simone Rocha x Crocs
Release Date: April 10
Release Price: TBC
Where to Buy: Crocs
Why You Should Cop: Over the years, Crocs has become a brand that’s never afraid to try something different. The footwear brand has unveiled a vast variety of collaborations in recent years, presenting designs based on everything, from the world’s favorite Disney characters to more sophisticated creations with some of the globe’s most established fashion houses. The latest Crocs release is made with Simone Rocha, with the collaboration making its debut during Rocha’s SS24 “The Dress Rehearsal” fashion show. The collection features the Classic Clog, Siren, and Quicktrail silhouettes, with each design complemented by a series of crystals and pearls — Simone’s signature detail — and arrive in black, cream, “Soft Blush,” and “Light Dust Green” colorways.
Nike Dunk Low “Veneer”
Release Date: April 11
Release Price: $115 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: The Nike Dunk Low has been one of the most popular silhouettes from the Nike catalog for some time now. The silhouette is often surfacing in new and inventive colorways and now, the sneaker is coming back in the “Veneer” color scheme. Originally coming as part of the “Ugly Duckling Pack” in 2001, the shoe’s upper is crafted with pigskin suede, while the collar and tongue are created with a breathable mesh to mix things up. Additionally, the Swoosh has included a customary Nike woven tag, with the sneaker finished off with a white midsole and violet rubber outsole.
HIDDEN.NY x ASICS GEL-NYC
Release Date: April 12
Release Price: $160 USD
Where to Buy: HIDDEN.NY
Why You Should Cop: Having originally launched as an Instagram mood board during its inception, HIDDEN.NY has evolved into one of the world’s most innovative footwear collaborators. The imprint has connected with ASICS for its latest sneaker installment, reworking the GEL-NYC silhouette to create one of the shoes of the year so far. The collaborative sneaker is created with a white mesh base, while silver synthetic panels are hit with HIDDEN’s bright green branding to add a splash of color. Meanwhile, ASICS reworks its logos with a pixilated effect to pay homage to HIDDEN’s digital DNA. Rounding things off, a lowercase “h” logo is added to the toe.
CLOT x adidas Superstar
Release Date: April 12
Release Price: $200 USD
Where to Buy: adidas
Why You Should Cop: Following the release of the CLOT x adidas Superstar in “White/Black” — which went down as a certified hit — a brand-new colorway of the design is now dropping in a “Black/White” edition. The sneaker encapsulates what CLOT stands for: the combination of fashion and footwear, with the new design merging sneaker elements with intricate brogue details. The sneaker is also designed with a black leather upper, while the customary Three Stripe branding is added to the lateral sides. Rounding things off, the shoe is hit with a perforated black leather tab and a stacked black midsole.
ASICS NOVALIS GEL-TEREMOA “Burgundy/Black” & “White/Blue”
Release Date: April 3
Release Price: $250 USD
Where to Buy: Kiko Kostadinov
Why You Should Cop: Kiko Kostadinov is one of the world’s most exciting designers. The London-based menswear designer teased his signature ASICS NOVALIS line throughout 2023, officially debuting the range earlier this month. The first thing that meets the eye when looking at the designs is the textured details across the medials, while smooth leather accents are used to add a contrast to the collars. Additionally, Kostadinov includes a slew of lettering down the toe box, while flaming tongue logos, rubber soles, and plastic heel cups are used to finish things off.
Joe Freshgoods x New Balance 1000
Release Date: April 12
Release Price: $170 USD
Where to Buy: Joe Freshgoods
Why You Should Cop: Chicago’s Joe Freshgoods keeps dropping gems in collaboration with New Balance. The latest collaborative effort revives the classic 1998-released New Balance 1000 model, with the sneaker first showcased at Paris Fashion Week. The is arriving in two colorways, the first embraces a slew of earthy tones, as washed and almost metallic shades of brown and black merge together throughout. The second takes on a brighter approach, as tones of sliver and pink combine across the lateral sides and upper. Both pairs are finished off with gum outsoles, while customary Freshgoods branding can be spotted on the toe box and insole.
Nike Kobe 8 Protro
Release Date: April 13
Release Price: $190 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: Continuing to pay homage to Kobe Bryant’s legacy, Nike has unveiled three brand-new iterations of the sleek Kobe 8 Protro silhouette — and each design is completely different, offering something for every hooper looking for something new. The construction of the shoe looks to elevate the typical court shoe for basketball players performing at every level. While each design looks aesthetically unique, each pair in the collection tells a story of Kobe’s life growing up outside of Philadelphia and later in Italy, before the all-timer settled down in Los Angeles for over 20 years.
Air Jordan 5 SE “Sail”
Release Date: April 13
Release Price: $210 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: Recently, Jordan Brand’s “Sail” colorway has continued to grow in popularity. The famous shade has made its way onto a slew of silhouettes, making for a clean design that will be stepped in throughout the summer months. Jordan Brand is now expanding its SE line with the Air Jordan 5 “Sail,” coming as part of the brand’s Summer 2024 lineup. The sleek design features translucent netting around the panels, tongue, and outsole, while further speckles of black detailing complement the inner lining as well as the shark teeth along the midsole. Rounding off the design, customary Jordan Brand motifs are added to the tongues, heel counter, and insole.
Nike Air Max 1 ’86 “Jackie Robinson”
Release Date: April 15
Release Price: $150 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: Nike is continuing to pay tribute to basketball icon Jackie Robinson with the release of a brand-new Air Max 1 ’86. Designed with a melange of blue shades — a common theme with Robinson-inspired sneakers — the shoe also includes a mix of fabrications, from soft suede through to leather. Meanwhile, further nods to Robinson come in the form of the classic “42” patch on the tongue’s pull tab, while the sneaker is hit with a white midsole and gum rubber outsole. Rounding things off, the Swoosh also includes two sets of laces with gold tips, further commemorating the legend.