Is there any purchase more alluring than a fresh set of sneakers? If there is, we’ve yet to discover it. No matter how many pairs line your shoe rack, there’s always room for more. But with so many new releases hitting the shelves every day, it can be time-consuming to whittle it down to the ones truly worthy of your hard-earned cash.
To make the process a little easier, we’ve narrowed it down to the five best releases this week. From throwback greatness from Air Jordan to fluorescent fancies courtesy of New Balance and Aries. These are the drops worth copping over the next few days.
New Balance x Aries ‘Unbalanced’ 991
New Balance’s ‘Made In England’ 991 is nothing short of a classic, but if you’ve ever looked at a pair and thought to yourself, “these are cool but I wish they hurt my eyes more,” then boy, is it your lucky day today.
The first collaborative effort between NB and London streetwear brand Aries is undeniably spectacular. You might even say it’s a blinder.
Brighter than bright can be, this eye-popping collab comes in two equally dazzling colourways. There’s a pearled leather option, featuring pops of bright orange and bright white mesh. Or, if you’re feeling brave, you could opt instead for the neon green version. Both boast Aries branding to the heel and inner tongue, along with strategically placed hits of reflective 3M.
Rarity Rating: 8/10
Design History: One of the most loved sneakers from the 990 series updated with a streetwear twist
Best For: Turning heads
Nike Air Max 90 BSMNT ‘London’
Last month, sportswear giant Nike and streetwear collective The Basement announced their City Series project. Three collaborative sneaker releases, each paying homage to a different UK city.
Following Glasgow and Manchester, the final instalment of the pack is an Air Max 90-shaped celebration of our very own London Town. Perhaps we’re a little biased, but we reckon it’s the best one.
The shoe is rendered in a mix of textured fabrics, spanning five shades of grey that any Londoner worth their salt will recognise from the pavements, concrete walls and high-rise buildings that make up the city. To top it all off, an interchangeable velcro Swoosh to appease even the most indecisive of sneakerheads.
Rarity Rating: 7/10
Design History: A London twist on a Nike design classic
Best For: Exploring the boroughs in style
Nike Air Jordan Retro Hi OG ‘SBB 3.0’
When it’s a shoe as iconic as the Air Jordan 1 OG that’s getting a makeover, opinion is bound to be divided.
The Shattered Backboard 3.0 will be instantly familiar to anyone with even a passing interest in sneakers. It’s the legendary black and red – or ‘Bred’ – colourway, but there’s one major difference: it’s really, really shiny.
Reworked in crinkled patent leather, the Shattered Backboard 3.0s challenge sneakerheads to see their favourite piece of footwear in a different way. The shiny upper sits atop a retro-looking off-white midsole, adding a touch of contrast to proceedings, complemented by a black Swoosh to each side and Jordan branding to the ankle.
Rarity Rating: 9/10
Design History: The shoe that began the sneakerhead movement, reimagined in fresh materials
Best For: Something a bit different
Adidas Consortium x Norse Projects Torsion TRDC
A reimagining of a lesser-known Adidas style from the late ‘90s, the TRDC was released for the first time earlier in the year. You’d be forgiven for perhaps not having even noticed, but this version created in conjunction with Danish tastemaker Norse Projects is certainly worthy of your attention.
We like it when Norse brings out a collaborative sneaker, because the trademark minimalism tends to go out the window in favour of sheer lunacy, but in a good way.
The Danish label’s take on the TRDC is a prime example. This sneaker legitimately looks like something an intergalactic army man from the future might wear to go for a jog around the Moon-base running track, yet it’s right here on Earth in 2019.
Rarity Rating: 5/10
Design History: A classic piece of late-’90s sneaker design, updated by Denmark’s coolest
Best For: Tackling winter in style
Yeezy Boost 700 ‘Teal Blue’
Credit where credit’s due, Kanye West and Adidas have really tapped into something special with their collaborative Yeezy line. It’s impossible to walk through town without seeing a at least a few pairs, and yet the hype shows absolutely no sign of subsiding.
It sort of feels as though the only way the madness could ever come to an end would be if they ran out of colours to produce Yeezys in. And while they must surely be approaching that point by now – surely – we haven’t quite arrived there yet.
The latest incarnation of the Yeezy Boost 700, Kanye’s take on the whole chunky sneaker thing, arrives in a cool teal blue, just in time for winter. Act fast if you like the look of them, though. Because if there’s anything we’ve learned from the countless prior drops, it’s that they don’t stick around for long.
Rarity rating: 8/10
Design history: The latest wintery version of Kanye and Adidas’s much-hyped bulky sneaker
Best for: Not being able to cop and then paying a month’s rent on resale