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Welcome to SNX DLX, your weekly roundup of the best sneakers to hit the internet. This week we have another jam-packed list of fire drops. So many sneakers dropped this week that we actually considered bumping up the list past 10 individual entries, which would’ve been an SNX first. But ultimately, we decided to stay true to our roots and keep it curated.
So what landed on the cutting room floor? The only notable sneakers we passed up this week were the return of the Nike Air Bo Turf and Supreme’s latest Vans collaboration, which are both great designs, but not quite great enough to kick anything off this top ten. This time around our roundup is focused on the big three brands, Nike, Adidas, and New Balance who are all operating at the top of their game with a mix of classic and forward-thinking silhouettes.
Let’s dive into this week’s 10 best sneaker drops.
Nike Dunk High Next Nature Sail
We’re not sure why this fleece-inspired cozy winterized take on the high-top Dunk is dropping right in the middle of summer but seasonally dissonant design aside, the Next Nature Sail Dunk High is pretty dope. The upper is fully quilted and made from 100% recycled polyester in a white and sail colorway with a fleece-like lining and a patchwork design.
A winter-inspired take on an ‘80s classic? We’ll take it, we guess!
The Nike Dunk High Next Nature Sail is out now for a retail price of $130. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.
Nike Air Force 1 High ’07 LV8 Sail and Medium Grey
Nike is going hard on the Sail and we’re here for it. The Air Force 1 High ’07 LV 8 in Sail and Medium Grey features a muted upper composed of distressed leather with woven canvas side panels, heritage branding on the tongue, and grey accents across the Swoosh, outsole, and branding.
Nike has been showing lots of love to the high-top Air Force 1 and if you’ve held out this long on picking up a pair, this is probably the release that’s finally going to get you to pull the trigger.
The Nike Air Force 1 High ’07 LV8 Sail and Medium Grey is set to drop on July 6th for a retail price of $135. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT.
Nike NOCTA Hot Step Triple Black
Drake’s NOCTA label’s first signature silhouette, the Hot Step, is getting the coveted Triple Black colorway. Featuring a sleek all-black upper in premium pebbled leather, the Hot Step sports subtle 3M accents, Air Terra Humara-inspired tooling, and G-TEK traction.
A strong effort from Drake, but he has a way to go to get on Ye, Beyonce, and Bad Bunny’s level. With Nike behind his back, it should be easier than this.
The Nike NOCTA Hot Step Triple Black is set to drop on July 7th for a retail price of $180. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.
Converse x A-COLD-WALL Sponge Crater Dark Grey and Tangerine Tango
A-COLD-WALL’s Samuel Ross added a bit of his envelope-pushing aesthetic to this Converse silhouette that makes it look straight out of the future. The sneaker features a design that resembles a rock from Mars with a knit upper and a spandex collar, exaggerated heel pulls, egg-crate traction, and a CX Foam underfoot for enhanced comfort.
We don’t generally expect Converse to go this wild with their designs, but it’s a good look for the brand. Here is hoping we get more future-leaning designs out of Converse.
The Converse A-COLD-WALL Sponge Crater Dark Grey and Tangerine Tango is set to drop on July 7th for a retail price of $110. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.
Nike Air Pegasus 83 Black and Cool Grey
Nike has such a strong roster of silhouettes that the brand simply needs to produce a dope colorway to move even their simplest designs. Like this week’s Air Pegasus 83 in Black and Cool Grey. There are no frills with this sneaker, no forward-thinking technology, just a classic running shoe with a rubber waffle outsole, a foam midsole, and a leather, suede, and canvas upper in a stealthy colorway.
It’s simple but undeniably fresh.
The Nike Air Pegasus 83 Black and Cool Grey is set to drop on July 7th for a retail price of $100. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.
Nike x Nina Chanel Abney Air Jordan 2 Low White and Malachite/ White and Gym Red
It’s not even a question anymore, the Air Jordan 2 is back and it’s having its best run ever. Over the course of the year, we’ve gotten over five brand new Air Jordan 2 colorways and several designers and outside collaborators look to the underappreciated Peter Moore-designed silhouette as a new canvas that gives that classic Jordan look, while still feeling new and contemporary.
This time Nike has called upon New York-based artist Nina Chanel Abney who provided subtle design changes like a new perforated leather pattern at the toe box and a new oversized hangtag packed in a shoe box covered in Abney’s vibrant art. It’s a remarkably restrained take on the sneaker, more in keeping with its classic colorways, but refined and better detailed.
The low-top version of the sneaker features a White and Malachite colorway, while the high-top version uses White and Gym Red. It’s rare that a low-top Jordan beats a high, but the White and Malachite is one of the best releases of the entire summer, maybe even the year.
The Nike x Nina Chanel Abney Air Jordan 2 Low White and Malachite and White and Gym Red are set to drop on July 8th for a retail price of $225 and $250, respectively. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT and Flight Club.
New Balance Made in USA 990v1 Incense with Macadamia Nut
This year it feels like New Balance is taking a victory lap. Steadily, the brand has been building a loyal fan base of sneakerheads that get as excited for a new 990 colorway as a new Jordan 1 colorway. New Balance knows this, which is why they’re consistently dropping ultra-fresh colorways like this week’s Incense with Macadamia Nut.
This is the brand operating at its strongest, leaning into that elegant minimalist aesthetic that Joe Freshgoods and Teddy Santis injected into the brand via their respective collaborations, and it looks cleaner than anything coming out of Nike right now. Watch the throne. Even the colorway name has a chef’s kiss quality.
The New Balance Made in USA 990v1 Incense with Macadamia Nut is set to drop on July 7th for a retail price of $189.99. Pick up a pair via the New Balance webstore.
New Balance MADE in USA 990v2 Sea Salt with Rain Cloud/Black with True Camo
If you’re not feeling the more classic design of the 990v1, New Balance is also dropping two new colorways of the v2, which offer a more 90’s dad-shoe-inspired look that fits in with more contemporary sneaker stylings. The v2 drops in both Sea Salt with Rain Cloud and Black with True Camo colorways both featuring a full-grain leather and mesh upper with an ABZORB midsole and a synthetic suede sockliner.
The New Balance MADE in USA 990v2 Sea Salt with Rain Cloud/Black with True Camo are set to drop on July 7th for a retail price of $204.99 and $194.99 respectively. Pick up a pair via the New Balance webstore.
New Balance Stone Island Tokyo Design Studio FuelCell RC Elitev2
Coming straight out of New Balance’s Tokyo Design Studio and made in collaboration with Italian luxury label Stone Island is this week’s new FuelCell RC Elitev2, a sneaker that mixes classic New Balance design details from the 574 with a futuristic graphic-heavy upper.
The FuelCell RC features a full knit upper with dual branding graphics, jagged overlay detailing, a full-length carbon fiber plate designed for increased energy return, and FuelCell cushioning and drops in two colorways, Rain Cloud with Energy Red, and Burgundy with Energy Lime.
The New Balance Stone Island Tokyo Design Studio FuelCell RC Elitev2 is set to drop on July 8th for a retail price of $219.99. Pick up a pair via the New Balance webstore.
Adidas Puig Indoor
If you could care less for the forward-thinking silhouettes and the more out-there designs, Adidas is dropping a classic football-inspired take on the Lucas Puig signature which strips down the design a bit and oozes vintage cool. Featuring a premium leather and nylon upper with an EVA midsole, and leather lining, the Puig features abrasion-resistant reinforcement on the toe and a classic cream white and scarlet colorway with gold leaf branding.
The Adidas Puig is set to drop on July 9th for a retail price of $80. Pick up a pair via the Adidas CONFIRMED app.
Adidas Dame 8 Big Mood
The Dame 8 is Damian Lillard’s latest signature sneaker with Adidas and this week it’s getting one of its most adventurous colorways to date with the appropriately named Dame 8 Big Mood. Featuring a boxing-inspired design, the 8 places a textile upper on a Bounce Pro midsole over a sour-candy sequel outsole. Roundup out the design is some emoji-inspired icons on the tongue and heel tab as well as iridescent three stripes.
The Adidas Dame 8 Big Mood is set to drop on July 9th for a retail price of $120. Pick up a pair via the Adidas CONFIRMED app.
