1. Nike Vandal High x Stüssy
Initially released as a pair of basketball shoes in 1984, Nike’s Vandal High gets a makeover, thanks to their collaboration with the American surfwear and streetwear label Stüssy. The two brands have previously collaborated on silhouettes like Air Max in 2015 and Air Max Penny 2 in 2022, reuniting again in 2023 to produce three colourways of Vandal Highs in ‘fossil black’, ‘black metallic silver’, and ‘deep royal blue and black’.
Originally made in leather, Stüssy’s version features an all-hemp upper with an embroidered Swoosh in a contrasting colour and a unique graphic label on the tongue. This week, if you’re lucky, you can get your hands on the ‘deep royal blue’ iteration from Nike’s and Stüssy’s website or from select sneaker shops online.
2. Clot x Fragment x Nike Dunk
Clot, one of Asia’s most revered streetwear and lifestyle labels, has had a good 20-year run so far, with collaborations with the giants like Disney, Nike and even Coca-Cola. And in celebration of Clot’s 20th anniversary, the brand’s founder and creative director, Edison Chan, has teamed up with long-time collaborator Hiroshi Fujiwara, founder of the coveted fashion label called Fragment Design, for the conception of Clot x Fragment x Nike Dunk.
Taking inspiration from Clot and Nike’s 2018 Air Force 1 collaboration in ‘white silk’ (Fujiwara’s favourite Clot shoes in the past two decades), the Clot x Fragment x Nike Dunk comes in a classic black and white combination, with an all-white silk-inspired upper and a cream sole, both of which are contrasted with the tongue, the lace stay and the heel tab that are rendered in black. As a mark of this special release, the insole features a Clot20 logo.
3. Nike LeBron 20 x A.P.B. x FAMU
As a part of a six-year partnership between Nike, Lebron James and Florida A&M University (FAMU) and their college athletic department, two exclusive new pairs of LeBron 20s are releasing this week, in collaboration with one of the Whitaker Groups’ premiere brands, A.P.B.
The two new iterations of LeBron 20s come in FAMU-inspired colours of ivory and orange, accented with a pop of orange and green in both pairs of sneakers, while A.P.B’s branding can be seen on the insoles and the tongue. Prepared with premium leather, the ivory pair particularly has a subtle snakeskin inclusion as a nod to FAMU’s nickname–the Rattlers.
4. Adidas Sambas x Wales Bonner
Adding fuel to the popularity of the Samba currently, British-Jamaican designer Wales Bonner has an updated take on the Samba and SL72 Knit. Since his first collaboration with Adidas in 2020, the designer has successfully dropped slight variations of the Samba, which has added to the rise of the sneakers, so much so that they are hard to cop these days.
This time around though, the Bonner’s version of the Samba comes in two distinct looks: one in a neutral colour palette with a nubuck upper and leather stripes, the other with a silver leather upper and crochet stripes, both featuring an extra long tongue for a retro look. The iconic three stripes of the Samba are adorned with lace-like stitching details for a contemporary and elevated update.
