After two relatively slow weeks, things are finally beginning to pick up again in the sneaker world. This week continues last week’s theme of bright, bold colors, with a few black and silver colorways popping up as well. We also have a new round of dunks dropping, mixed with some Jordans and Yeezys. It was tough selecting just five shoes to highlight this week, but we had to do it. So let’s get to it!
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The 5 Hottest Sneaker Drops This Week
This week had some pretty sick releases
1. Nike Air Max 1 LV8 “Obsidian”
Release Date: January 22nd
It’s been about three years since the last ‘Obsidian’ release, and Nike is offering a fresh take on this legendary silhouette. Decked out in a wolf grey colorway, the shoe sports a blue and white leather upper and chunky rubber outsole. The ‘Obsidian’ has always reminded me a lot of the ‘Air Jordan Zooms’ in terms of its futuristic design and style. While this is definitely a hot shoe, I wouldn’t recommend purchasing if you already have a similar colorway (unless, of course, you are a collector). On the flip side, this is an excellent sneaker for the newbies looking for something simple to add to their closet.
2. Notre x Nike Dunk High
Release Date: January 21st
I can already tell that this will be the year of the ‘Dunks.’ Releasing in both a pearl blue and light brown colorway, Nike is going with the cool neutral vibes in this collab with Notre. I actually wish the light brown edition would have come out last month. The lace has a candy cane design that would have made it a great holiday shoe. That said, both ‘Dunks’ are great. The blue colorway has a denim-like pattern that reminds me a lot of the early 2000s, and the light brown shoe has the ability to work for both Winter and Spring. You can even swap the laces to give both pairs a different look. I’d say this is a good pickup!
3. Nike SB Dunk Low Pro 'Street Hawker'
Release Date: January 22nd
I know I said previously that I didn’t want to make these lists too Nike/Jordan heavy, but Nike made it super hard this week. I know some of my sneakerheads are vehemently opposed to mids, so I had to include the new ‘Dunk’ lows hitting the retail market this week. Inspired by Chinese dishes from six different cities, these shoes are perfect for the upcoming Chinese New Year. You could go with the metallic copper if you want something more subtle, or the Pueblo brown if you want a more daring look. As Black Sheep said in 1990, ‘The Choice Is Yours.’
4. Adidas Yeezy Boost 700 V1 “Sun”
Release Date: January 23rd
I left out Yeezys last time, so I have to include them this week. The ‘Boost 700s’ remain one of the most popular in the Yeezy collection, and this time around, Ye is giving us a bright orange and yellow colorway reminiscent of the sun. For some reason, these shoes remind me of the ‘Stronger’ video. Anyway, the silhouette sports a yellow mesh upper, complete with an orange midsole. The outer sole is dressed in black, and there is a splash of blue towards the middle part of the shoe—very‘ outer space like’ for sure.
5. Adidas D Rose 11 “CNY”
Release Date: January 22nd
Speaking of the upcoming Chinese New Year, D. Rose dropped an absolute fire shoe this week. A very festive and celebratory shoe, it is dressed in red and black, with a metallic gold layering the outer part of the shoe. Gold sprinkles are scattered in the midsole, with red and black rubber sole completing the look. This just may be the hottest shoe D.Rose has ever dropped, and I may have to snag a pair myself. The ‘CNYs’ are a certified banger.
That’s gonna do it for this week, you can keep up with me on Twitter for weekly sneaker updates. See you next week!