Month: August 2023

Earlier this summer, Jordan Brand and Luka Dončić introduced the Jordan Luka 2. Ahead of the upcoming NBA season, a new color pays tribute to Slovenia’s “Lake Bled” arriving in an almost all-blue palette.The “Lake Bled” iteration comes in a polar, bright crimson, psychic blue, diffused blue, university blue and blue tint color scheme. The shoe’s upper is constructed with engineered mesh and leather with TPU reinforcements for added support. The dominant blue shade is seen throughout the shoe, intermixing with hints of crimson accents seen on the laces, Luka-branded tongues, Jumpman logo and insoles. The shoe’s sustainability element is indicated with the Nike pinwheel logo and comes with Formula 23 foam and Cushlon 3.0 on the medial side for added comfort. This pair sits atop a white midsole and blue outsole to round out the design. Look out for the Jordan Luka 2 “Lake Bled” set to hit select retailers and online at Nike for $140 USD on September 14.In case you missed it, Air Jordan 2 “Black Cement” has an official release date.

Footwear trends have shifted in the past couple of years and the secondary market is a sure telltale of where the direction is heading. About a year ago, Nike shoes like the Dunks and the rising adidas Samba and Gazelle sneakers took over the resale market, quickly snatched up the moment they hit the apps. Now, it appears that sportstyle footwear brands, made for function and versatility, are the ones on top. According to Business of Fashion, “fashion-forward adaptations of trail, running or hiking shoe” have become the latest category to command great popularity amongst sneakerheads. Perhaps it is because the populartiy of “gorpcore,” which looks towards making camping styles chic, celebrities and everyday fashion enthusiasts alike are turning to some of the industry’s favorite sportsyle brands. From Salomon XT-6 sneakers to the Asics Gel Kayano 14, these silhouettes have now become some of the most coveted models in the footwear world. More and more sportstyle brands like Hoka and On have entered the conversation, becoming more mainstream and hitting the $1 billion USD a year marker just recently. Taking a look at secondhand market trade activity on platforms like StockX, ON went up 15,000% year-on-year, whereas Salomon increased by 202% and Asics by 72%. Despite the growth, these brands do still lag behind established brands like Nike, adidas and New Balance when it comes to the overall trade volume. However, brans like Asics and Salomon are coming in fifth and sixth respectively. There seems to be a trend of consumers looking for long-term performance footwear in their everyday life. Although many still purchase Salomons for trail running, hiking and ski equipments, the biggest drivers of growth come from fashion enthusiasts and consumers for everyday use. Even Rihanna made the case when she sported a pair of Salomons for the Super Bowl Halftime show. By the end of June, Asics reported a net sales growth of 51.5% year-on-year with profits increasing by 72.5% while On’s net sales increased 52.3%. In fashion, sportstyle shoes have made its way as collaborations with popular brands like jjjjound and even breakout Copenhagen brand Cecilie Bahnsen. In case you missed it, here is a first look at Bottega Veneta’s Orbit sneaker.

Jayson Tatum and the Jordan Brand team are gearing up for the upcoming 2023-24 NBA season with an expansion of a new line up of his Jordan Tatum 1 sneakers.The forthcoming “Home Team” colorway sees the shoe arrive in a white, total orange, black and green strike color scheme. Covered in a mostly all-white mesh upper, the black outlines the toe to the medial, tongue and heel. The shoe has added ankle support with its lightweight engineered mesh upepr and cushioned collars while the airy TPU frame reduces the weight of the shoe. The forefoot features an uncaged Zoom Air bag for responsiveness on the court. the “JT” logo is seen on the tongues, which is orange while the green strike is seen highlighting the inner sole and collar. The shoe sits on a white rubber sole and total orange traction for added grip. The Jordan Tatum 1 “Home Team” will be available in select retailers and online at Nike for $120 USD starting on September 8.In other footwear news, here is an official look at the Nike Mac Attack “White/Black.”