From PUMA to Nike, the Seven Best Sneakers to Cop Right Now
This weekly guide sorts the very best from the rest when it comes to the saturated world of sneaker releases, with information on release dates and where to buy. Please note: Some sneakers may sell out at speed.
Raffles, friends and family releases, and player exclusives — all of that before a mere mention of the many fire general sneaker releases out there. The world of sneaker drops can be a tricky place to navigate, but we’re here to help. Behold, the best of the best of what's arriving on shop floors this week.
This week’s selection sees new chapters arrive for long-established collaborations — PUMA x KidSuper and adidas x Brain Dead — as well as the arrival of a long-awaited pair of Nike Jordans.
The cream of the sneaker crop awaits you. What are you waiting for?
Shop the best sneaker releases on the market, as well as upcoming sneaker drops, below.
Nike Air Jordan 5 x Awake NY
Release Date: August 30
Editor's Notes: Finally, it's here. Awake NY has been teasing its Air Jordan 5 collaboration since October 2024, but now it's hitting the shelves. Angelo Baque's label incorporates its logo directly onto the side of the basketball shoe, cut into the leather outer to reveal the inner workings of a famed Jordan model.
New Balance 204L
Release Date: September 1
Editor's Notes: New Balance's freshly launched 204L sneaker is changing tack. After arriving in a soft suede fabrication, it's now switching to a more sporty mesh and metallic construction.
Still, regardless of the materials it deploys, the sneaker can't shake the Miu Miu comparisons. This is slowly becoming known as New Balance's unofficial in-house Miu Miu sneaker (complimentary).
adidas x Brain Dead Japan Lo Sneaker
Release Date: Available now
Editor's Notes: The latest adidas x Brain Dead sneakers are fire, literally. The duo responsible for reviving adidas' wildly formal bowling shoes returns with a wrestling-themed sneaker pack imbued with that signature Bran Dead eccentricity.
PUMA x KidSuper V-S1
Release Date: August 30
Editor's Notes: When PUMA released the V-S1 in April, it was inevitable that a KidSuper collaboration would follow. A football boot turned flat-soled sneaker? There's no way KidSuper, PUMA's regular collaborator and a football-mad fashion brand, would pass up on creating its own version.
Dressed in distressed hairy suede, the V-S1 gets a texture-heavy update at the hands of KidSuper.
ASICS GEL-Cumulus 16 PORT ROYAL
Release Date: September 1
Editor's Notes: Only a decade ago, the GEL-Cumulus 16 was ASICS' newest long-distance running shoe. Now, the model is making a wide-scale comeback as an everyday lifestyle sneaker. Those wavy overlays covering the thick mesh base might've been invented for chewing up miles, but they've been revived for their stylish look.
Nike Air Max 95
Release Date: August 30
Editor's Notes: It's been a wild year for the Air Max 95. To honor the shoe's 30th anniversary, Nike turned the bubble-soled sneaker into everything from a skate shoe to a pair of Levi's jeans for your feet. This sneaker doesn't come with any such eccentricities, though. Instead, Nike lets a rich shade of pink do all the talking on these bright-hued 95s.
adidas Harden Volume 9
Release Date: Available now
Editor's Notes: This isn't your typical futuristic-looking, performance-heavy Harden Volume 9 sneaker. No, instead, adidas took this basketball sneaker and wrapped it in black leather for a more luxe look.
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