This week we will see a handful of unique releases from a diverse group of popular brands. New Balance and Patta create suede magic, Nike continues celebrating China’s Year Of The Ox, and Reebok delivers a fresh, new take on the Classic Leather. Read up on these releases and more on The Drop List.
Nike Dunk Low Firecracker
Image By Highsnobiety
Nike never misses a Chinese New Year release and 2021 is jammed packed with a bunch to commemorate the annual celebration. Alongside drops from Jordan Brand and Converse, the Swoosh has also added the Nike Dunk Low to the mix.
The Nike Dunk Low Firecracker pays homage to a staple found in most New Year celebrations, the firecracker. The sneaker’s upper is composed of an abundance of loud graphics. The blue leather upper shows off words like “BANG!” and “WARNING”, mimicking similar advertising found on firecracker packaging. Dot-patterns cover each aqua-colored leather panel and flat cream laces complete this special edition.
The Nike Dunk Low Firecracker releases first on China’s SNKRS app on January 28th, 2021, with a stateside release soon to follow.
Concepts x Converse 70 & BB Evo
Image By Concepts
Before basketball became a multi-billion dollar industry, it had humbler beginnings. In 1891, the game’s founder, Dr. James Naismith, brought the idea to students at his local YMCA. The game was as DIY as it comes, so much so that the hoops that we know of today were originally peach baskets. With Springfield, MA as the sport’s birthplace, it was fitting for Boston-based boutique, Concepts, to pay homage to the sport on one of the original basketball shoes, the Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star 70s, while honoring the sport’s future with the new Converse All-Star BB Evo.
The Converse Southern Flame collaboration with Concepts focuses on peaches, as the fruit ties in with peach baskets. The upper on the All-Star 70s features a mixture of orange and red hues on platinum suede, resembling the color and texture of the fruit’s skin. The second pair in the pack, the All-Star BB Evo, is colored with Shadow Lime and Green Oasis, representing a peach’s color before it’s ripe. One of the more standout design choices on each pair is the fuzzy green laces, further echoing the stone fruit.
The Converse “Southern Flame” pack releases this week, January 28th, ranging from $120-140 on Concept’s site, Converse.com, and select stockists.
New Balance 991 Patta
Image By Patta
The New Balance 991 resurfaces to the public eye thanks to the Netherland-based boutique, Patta. This second collaboration between the two puts a spotlight on the 991’s 20th anniversary, adding luxe details to the “Made In England” model for the occasion.
The New Balance 991 Patta dons a dusty pink premium pig suede upper, as pig suede and other luxe materials are in constant use at New Balance’s Flimby factory. Hits of smooth tan leather overlays on the heel and toe compliment the dusty pink material. New Balance’s iconic “N” logo shines bright with 3M detailing to wrap up the traditional trainer.
Patta released their collaboration on their site last week, but expect a limited drop of the kicks this week at select shops stateside on Friday, January 29th, for $220.
Air Jordan 9 Dark Charcoal University Gold
Image By Nike
The Air Jordan 9 returns this week with this upcoming Dark Charcoal University Gold iteration. Known colloquially as “Batman” for its black and yellow resemblance to the crime-fighting hero’s suit, this AJ9 is the perfect dark shade for the current Winter season.
The Air Jordan 9 Dark Charcoal University Gold is full of features every fan of the 1994 sneaker will gravitate towards. The upper is packed with a mix of Dark Charcoal and Black nubuck. From there, University Gold appears on the high-top’s inner lining and makes an appearance on the heel’s “23” embroidery and the midsole’s Jumpman logo. Lastly, like past retros, “Air Jordan” patches are stitched to the model’s tongue.
The Air Jordan 9 Dark Charcoal University Gold releases on Saturday, January 30th, for $190 on the SNKRS app and other Jordan Brand stockists.
Maison Margiela x Reebok Classic Leather Tabi
Image By Reebok
Luxury and sportswear continue to merge into each other’s worlds in 2021 with Maison Margiela’s second collaboration with Reebok. Last year, the two brands came together to release a special platform version of Reebok’s classic Instapump Fury, equipped with a Tabi toe design. Margiela is known for incorporating Tabis into a lot of their own signature sneakers and is bringing that into their collaborations with Reebok. This upcoming release continues the Tabi theme on the Classic Leather silhouette.
The Reebok Classic Leather Tabi Maison Margiela features a plethora of unique design choices, most notably the Tabi toe. From there, a hastily painted white coat covers the entire sneaker from the midsole to the tongue. The sneaker’s tongue features Margiela’s iconic number tag, while the crackling paint on the sneaker is a common theme the Parisian label has applied to other collaborations in the past (i.e. 2013’s Converse Low and Hi).
The Reebok Classic Leather Tabi Maison Margiela releases this Saturday, January 30th, for $350 on Reebok and Maison Margiela’s sites.
