Month: January 2023

Following a collaboration with PUMA, the archive page turned creative studio JJJJound now links up with BAPE once again for the duo’s second joint project. The star of the show is a new BAPE STA™ colorway which opts for a minimalist aesthetic featuring a 100% calf leather upper in white with signature STA branding in navy. JJJJound logos adorn the heel tabs and insoles while BAPE logos are featured on the monochrome white midsoles. The special-edition pairs come in custom blue BAPE camo packaging featuring gold foil co-branding.Other pieces in the collection include cotton fleece hoodies and sweatpants with “A Timeless Ape” screenprint graphics, T-shirts with full-color BAPE logo print, blue camo caps, and trucker hats. The collection is made in Japan with signature beige JJJJound labels found on each piece.”BAPE® is recognized for their bold streetwear collections and frequent collaborations; meanwhile JJJJound uses a minimalistic archival approach to design and collaboration. Merging those two approaches to create a timeless collection of streetwear memorabilia, the two labels decided to use navy tones to highlight the pieces and add both a sense of sophistication and streetwear authority to the designs,” JJJJound writes in the description.The collection titled BAPE® JJJJound II is set to launch January 7, 11 a.m. EST via the JJJJound and BAPE online channels as well as BAPE stores worldwide. View this post on Instagram A post shared by JJJJound (@jjjjound)Elsewhere in footwear, take a look at this Air Jordan 4 “Mecha Mewtwo” custom.

New year, same classic model. adidas is kicking off its 2023 run with a roster of UltraBOOST 1.0s that offer a balance of classic looks with fun themes. Joining the previously revealed “Core Black” and “Cloud White” reissues, two colorways celebrating Disney’s 100th anniversary are set to launch as adidas rings in the new year.Both uppers feature a dazzling silver at the shoe’s mudguard, heel counter, collar and tongue. Primeknit outfits the base of the upper in a light gray shade that lets its shiny overlays do the talking. Standard to the UltraBOOST series, a full-length BOOST midsole provides ample cushioning in white while a durable Continental rubber outsole backs it in black. Each pair features a custom sockliner that celebrates the theme alongside a Disney 100 design on the right shoe’s tongue. Lastly, the pairs are further differentiated with the men’s version carrying black and orange stripes and the women’s pair favoring white and pink.Just after the clock strikes midnight in the US, the adidas UltraBOOST 1.0 “Disney 100” pack launches via adidas at a price of $210 USD per pair. The official release time is scheduled for January 1 at 3am EST.In other footwear news, adidas is celebrating Chinese New Year with Chinese artist Zhang Quan’s label Melting Sadness, offering four thematic footwear styles.

In December, various looks at upcoming “Year of the Rabbit” shoes from Jordan Brand surfaced. Now, the Nike subdivision has shared a full preview of the collection with accompanying apparel that complements it.Footwear options are highlighted by the Air Jordan 1 Low OG and Air Jordan 1 Elevate Low which are limited to 5,000 numbered pairs. Adding to the range, the Air Jordan Legacy 312, Air Jordan 23, Jordan Luka 1, Jordan 23/7 and Jordan Series .05 also take on colorways that balance the theme’s signature shades of brown, light green, off-white, gold and red. Notably, previously revealed “Year of the Rabbit” colorways on the Air Jordan 1 High Zoom CMFT 2 and Air Jordan 37 are missing but remain expected to launch. Apparel options have been teased with various outerwear pieces sporting a Jordan Brand CNY emblem in a color arrangement that fits snugly with the footwear pieces.Look for Jordan Brand’s entire “Year of the Rabbit” range to land on shelves in January via Nike in celebration of Chinese New Year. Stay tuned for official launch information as we await release dates from the Swoosh.For more in footwear as we pivot into 2023, former University of Oregon football player and Nike employee Garren Strong sat down with us for the latest edition of Sole Mates.