Name: Pokémon x adidas ZX 8000 “Mewtwo”Colorway: PinkSKU: KI5326MSRP: TBCRelease Date: September 2026Where to Buy: adidasWord of Pokémon rekindling its partnership with adidas in celebration of the franchise’s 30th anniversary in 2026 first surfaced in October. Several sneaker silhouettes were mentioned, however, our first look at the collaboration comes as a surprise.A Mewtwo-themed take on the adidas ZX 8000 has just popped up. The artificial Pokémon, known as one of the most powerful of the original 151, informs this unique take on the shoe. Its two-tone body is referenced with a pink build carrying purple detailing at the toe, Three Stripes, and lining. Meanwhile, a portrait of Mewtwo is present above the Pokémon logo at the tongue tag while “MEWTWO” text runs above the lateral Three Stripes. New geometry is also present, with Mewtwo’s eyes at the lateral of each shoe and its ears recreated around the heel as well. As for the medial, its mythical counterpart, Mew, is subtly stenciled in at the midfoot. Rounding out this preview of the design is co-branding at the sockliner and a Master Ball dubrae.At the time of writing, neither Pokémon nor adidas have officially announced their collaborative plans for 2026. Stay tuned for updates, including an official look at this ZX 8000 “Mewtwo” pair and the reveal of additional sneakers, as we still expect a variety of designs to drop next September via adidas and select retailers in celebration of Pokémon’s 30th anniversary.Click here to view full gallery at Hypebeast

Name: Air Jordan 4 “Flight Club”Colorway: Sail/Black/University RedSKU: IM4002-100MSRP: $220 USDRelease Date: January 17, 2026Where to Buy: NikeUpdate: As 2025 comes to a close, Jordan Brand continues to offer previews of what to expect from the new year. One such pair is the Air Jordan 4 “Flight Club,” a new colorway that was rumored back in March. It draws inspiration from a long-defunct fan program of the same name, bringing back its logo and placing it on the tongue tag. The rest of the sneaker is largely what we expected, with off-white, black, and red coming together for a new color arrangement. Special graphics are present at both the sockliner and packaging while the mudguard has been altered with additional stitching. Look out for the pair to drop on January 17 of 2026 via Nike SNKRS and select retailers at an adjusted price point of $220 USD.Original Story: Hot off of its 35th anniversary celebration, the Air Jordan 4 is carrying over its momentum from last year by appearing in many different colorways, including a remake of the legendary UNDEFEATED pair. Looking ahead to 2026, one of many Jordan Brand rumors to surface recently includes a new “Flight Club” look.First mentioned in a report from footwear industry insiders zSneakerHeadz and Sneaker Files, this new Air Jordan 4 “Flight Club” has not yet been revealed and the mock-up above is speculative. However, we do know that it will sport a combination of “Sail,” “Black,” and “University Red” throughout its build. A possible point of inspiration for the pair is the original Jordan Brand newsletter of the same name.At the time of writing, Jordan Brand has not yet confirmed that this rumored “Flight Club” version of the Air Jordan 4 will be releasing next year. Stay tuned for updates, including a first look at the new colorway, as we currently expect it to arrive during the spring of 2026 via Nike SNKRS and select retailers at a starting price of $215 USD. View this post on Instagram A post shared by zSneakerHeadz (@zsneakerheadz)Click here to view full gallery at Hypebeast

Name: Nike Air Force 1 Low “Linen”Colorway: Linen/Moon Particle/Mink Brown/Burgundy CrushSKU: IQ3408-286MSRP: $130 USDRelease Date: Available nowWhere to Buy: NikeNike is crafting the Air Force 1 Low “Linen” with a variety of fabrics.The latest model is built with an off-gray canvas base and suede overlays in a soft tan hue. To add another contrast in color, much of the branding arrives in a deep burgundy, including the canvas panel swoosh, tongue tag, insole stamp and embroidered Nike Air heel insignia. The shoe then rests on a Gum midsole and outsole for extra grip, while burgundy laces tie them together for a clean finish.Click here to view full gallery at Hypebeast

Name: Nike GT Cut 4 “Metallic Blue”Colorway: Metallic Blue/Midnight NavySKU: HV9921-400MSRP: TBCRelease Date: Spring 2026Where to Buy: NikeAfter a series of experimental teases that included the Wembanyama PEs, Nike is giving the GT Cut 4 a matte makeover. Shifting to the silhouette’s commercial cornerstone, fans can expect a dual-force launch featuring two impeccably finished “Matte-metallic” looks. One of the drops is in “Metallic Blue,” which is designed to dominate the hardwood and the street.Radiant metallic blue leather wraps the lateral profile. This beautifully juxtaposes the moody, midnight navy that grounds the tongue, forefoot, and interior, and mirrors the architectural previous GT Cut 4 “Metallic Red.” This iteration embraces a sleek, sculptural aesthetic, with radiant blue leather wrapping the lateral side and those signature biomorphic, fish-bone molded lines creating a sense of fluid movement. It perfectly captures that “matte-meets-metallic” energy we’re seeing in this latest chapter of the Nike Greater Than series.Click here to view full gallery at Hypebeast

Name: Air Jordan 40 “Wolf Grey”Colorway: Photon Dust/Flint Grey-Wolf GreySKU: HM9931-001MSRP: $205 USDRelease Date: January 8, 2026Where to Buy: NikeJordan Brand is taking a more understated approach to its flagship line with the upcoming release of the Air Jordan 40 “Wolf Grey.” This iteration prioritizes material texture and tonal restraint over high-energy color stories, resulting in a more sophisticated performance aesthetic.The upper features a multi-layered construction, beginning with a dark, textured grey leather wrapping the toebox. This transitions seamlessly into lighter-colored mesh panels across the midfoot and heel, providing the silhouette with structural depth while maintaining a stealthy, technical look.Retaining that minimal feel, branding remains intentionally subtle; a tonal Nike logo anchors the heel, while light grey Jumpman embroidery on the tongue provides a quiet focal point. Underfoot, the performance-tuned outsole features a semi-translucent gum finish, rounding out the monochromatic theme while adding a final layer of complexity to the design.Click here to view full gallery at Hypebeast

Name: adidas Megaride F50 “Bluebird”Colorway: Blue Bird/Silver Metallic/Cloud WhiteSKU: JR4632MSRP: $170 USDRelease Date: Spring 2026Where to Buy: adidasadidas is continuing to expand its retro-performance line, this time introducing the Megaride F50 in a new “Bluebird” colorway. The silhouette merges the aesthetic of the archival F50 soccer lineage with the brand’s experimental cushioning era, resulting in a design that is both technical and unapologetically bold.The silhouette is presented in a USA-inspired palette, with the upper featuring a gradient mesh that fades from white to layered blues. Ribbed synthetic overlays provide structure to the toebox and sidewalls, while metallic Three Stripes branding sharpens the lateral profile. Subtle F50+ branding is integrated throughout, reinforcing the model’s roots in elite performance. The most standout characteristic of the build is the Megaride cushioning system housed within the midsole, which nods to the mechanical tooling of the early 2000s. Transparent pods reveal vibrant red internal columns, rounding out the patriotic palette. Look out for the pair to drop in early 2026.Click here to view full gallery at Hypebeast

Name: Nike ACG Rufus “Burgundy Ash”Colorway: Burgundy Ash/Burgundy Crush/Black/Cacao WowSKU: IM4953-600MSRP: TBCRelease Date: Spring 2026Where to Buy: NikeNike is offering a sweet treat with the ice cream-inspired ACG Rufus in “Burgundy Ash.”The slip-on silhouette is built with fabric textures in a deep burgundy hue, and fronted with an elegant embroidery of the swoosh in a complementing brown. Hidden in the insoles are an All Conditions Gear emblem designed with a dynamic ice cream bowl graphic, offering a subtle detail. The model then rests on a cushioned foam burgundy midsole and a bespeckled rubber outsole for extra grip.Click here to view full gallery at Hypebeast

Name: SP5DER x adidas SuperstarColorway: Green/BlackSKU: KJ9463MSRP: $160 USDRelease Date: January 2, 2026Where to Buy: SP5DERSP5DER and adidas Originals are kicking off the new year with a new partnership. Young Thug’s fashion brand teased a collaboration featuring the Superstar back in October. Now, it’s finally time for the sneaker to drop.A complete set of images highlighting the duo’s first creation has been shared via its corresponding product page. This green and black composition begins with a glossy cracked patent leather at the upper, which also features textured spiderwebs throughout. Serrated Three Stripes in black match thick laces, a patent leather heel tab, and a SP5DER-branded midsole. A callout to the brand is also located at the tongue in white, which hosts a “555 555” note at the interior side as well. Additional co-branding comes courtesy of the sockliner and icy translucent outsole. Meanwhile, each pair is accompanied by a spider charm, SP5DER-branded aglets, and thematic packaging.For those looking to pick up a pair of this green and black SP5DER x adidas Superstar, a raffle hosted by SP5DER via EQL has opened. Winners will be announced on January 2 of the new year, with the shoe coming in at a price of $160 USD. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 5555555 (@sp5derworldwide)Click here to view full gallery at Hypebeast

The end of 2025 draws near, and Nike has shared its fourth annual recap of the most popular SNKRS releases of the year. While the data is limited to US-based sneakerheads’ behavior, it illustrates a significant shift in how the brand is generating energy. For starters, Travis Scott’s three-year streak of taking first place on the list with an Air Jordan 1 Low OG collaboration has ended, although it surely would’ve continued had his pair featuring fragment design hit the app.Despite celebrating its 40th anniversary and being the centerpiece of many campaigns, the AJ1 failed to make this year’s list. Previously, 2024 featured four AJ1s, 2023 included two in its top five, and 2022 had four as well. While La Flame was responsible for most of those, it does signal that the torch has officially been passed, but to which model?2024 was the year of the AJ4, and while the sneaker carried over this momentum with high-powered collaborations and much-anticipated re-releases, it was the AJ11 that claimed this year’s first-place spot with the reissue of the “Gamma” colorway. The model’s 30th anniversary celebration didn’t take center stage until the final quarter of the year, with regional releases aiding in driving hype for the silhouette, one that had never previously graced these year-end SNKRS recap lists.All 10 sneakers on the list are connected to one sport: basketball. Jordan Brand’s six contributions are complemented by four from the Nike Basketball family. While both the Nike Kobe 6 and 8 Protro have been back on the market for years now, they remain bestsellers. The return of the Kobe 8 “What The” performed best, taking fourth place, while two new takes on the Kobe 6 also made the list.Travis Scott’s Jordan Jumpman Jack is the only model on the list that is younger than a decade old. However, this is nothing new. Previously, the youngest shoe to grace these lists was 2010’s Nike Kobe 6 Protro. There is something to be said about the shift from being collaboration-centric to retro-heavy. Six sneakers are re-releases, matching the combined number of retros across these lists over the past three years. Meanwhile, only two collab pairs made it, a sharp drop from an average of 77% collaborations over the past three years. Dive into the complete list and revisit our articles on each pair below.Air Jordan 11 “Gamma”Nigel Sylvester x Air Jordan 4 “Brick by Brick”Air Jordan 4 “Black Cat”Nike Kobe 8 Protro “What The”Air Jordan 12 “Flu Game”Air Jordan 5 “Black Metallic Reimagined”Nike Air Foamposite One “Galaxy”Nike Kobe 6 Protro “Dodgers”Nike Kobe 6 Protro “All-Star”Travis Scott x Jordan Jumpman Jack “Bright Cactus”Is the key to Nike’s current hype formula looking to the past? Which pairs did you go for this year? Let us know if you caught any major Ws, and good luck with your copping attempts in 2026.Click here to view full gallery at Hypebeast

It’s time for 2025’s final edition of best footwear drops of the week. Looking back on the year, it was chock full of exciting moments and releases within the sneaker space. Before we wrap things up and beginning looking at what 2026 has in store for us, with drops from Nike, New Balance, Converse, and ASICS on the way, let’s recap which headlines popped up this past week.The Nike SB team has looked to Thai food to inspire one of its upcoming SB Dunk Lows, named the “Som Tum” colorway. A special “Year of the Horse” version of the Pegasus Premium is also expected to drop in early 2026. Jordan Brand has its own Chinese New Year-themed sneakers on the way, with the Air Jordan 1 Low OG covered in Chinese-inspired detailing. Meanwhile, we took a first look at the Air Jordan 4 “Iced Carmine” and the Jumpman team announced the Jordan Luka 5.New Balance had two of its upcoming collaborations surface, with a Salehe Bembury x New Balance MADE in USA 992 on the way and Ronnie Fieg hinting at a Kith x New Balance 990v4. NIGO dropped his own teaser, highlighting a HUMAN MADE x Red Wing Heritage capsule. Two more collab projects on the way were discussed as well: an atmos x Ghost in the Shell x Reebok Instapump Fury 94 and a fragment design x Timberland 6-Inch Boot.With all of the major footwear news from last week revisited, let’s look ahead at what’s to come from the final week of the year, starting with the last Nike Book 1 drop. After working your way through the list, be sure to hit up HBX to see which styles you can cop today.Nike Book 1 “Torched”Release Date: December 30Release Price: $155 USDWhere to Buy: SNKRSWhy You Should Cop: Before Devin Booker and Nike Basketball begin the next chapter of their partnership, one final Nike Book 1 is set to drop. A special “Torched” pair that features an all-white canvas build with “burn” details has been prepared. This is one of three shoes from Booker, and the only Book 1, that embraces the transition from his first signature shoe to his second, with it rising as a phoenix with the other two looks.New Balance “Year of the Horse” CollectionRelease Date: January 1Release Price: ¥15,950 JPY to ¥25,300 JPY (approx. $102 USD to $162 USD)Where to Buy: atmosWhy You Should Cop: New Balance is back with another of its annual celebrations of the Lunar New Year. Tapping into the “Year of the Horse” theme, it has assembled six sneakers and a complementary apparel range to embrace the festivities. An ABZORB 2000 pairs a sleek black upper with silver and red detailing while its ABZORB 2010 counterpart favors brown and gray. Meanwhile, two takes on the red-hot 204L embrace pony hair at the heel and compositions of brown and white that combine with an all-black sole unit. Lastly, the 574 sneaker similarly takes on two looks, adding red accents to off-white and black finishes.Nike Kobe 9 EM Protro “Stitches”Release Date: January 1Release Price: $190 USDWhere to Buy: SNKRSWhy You Should Cop: Nike Basketball continues to bring back more of the late Kobe Bryant’s signature shoes each year. For 2025, it was all about the introduction of the Kobe 3 Protro. However, that didn’t stop the brand from touching on its previous focal points. The Kobe 9 EM Protro is back to kick off the new year with a “Stitches” colorway, aka the “Purple Dynasty,” that is drenched in purple.New Balance AC RunnerRelease Date: January 1Release Price: $150 USDWhere to Buy: New BalanceWhy You Should Cop: Another major moment for New Balance to kick off the new year is the introduction of the AC Runner. This sleek new running shoe is a departure from its retro-inspired DNA, instead offering a mesh upper with printed graphics for a modern flow. Meanwhile, its technology-packed sole unit is all about performance. Fresh Foam X backs the sole alongside three different levels of foam firmness.Nike A’One “Stone Mauve”Release Date: January 1Release Price: $135 USDWhere to Buy: NikeWhy You Should Cop: A’ja Wilson had an incredible 2025. Not only did she introduce her first signature shoe with the Swoosh, the Nike A’One, but she won her fourth WNBA MVP and third WNBA championship with the Las Vegas Aces. Now, she’s looking to carry that momentum into 2026 with a new “Stone Mauve” iteration of her debut sneaker. This pair is covered in rose gold detailing, including the shoe’s shiny Swooshes.Nike Sabrina 3 “Iron Grey”Release Date: January 1Release Price: $135 USDWhere to Buy: NikeWhy You Should Cop: Another of Nike Basketball’s signature athletes from the W to be dropping a sneaker this week is Sabrina Ionescu. The New York Liberty’s sharpshooter introduced her third signature shoe in July and has continued to offer fresh takes on the sneaker since. Look out for the Nike Sabrina 3 to embrace a new “Iron Grey” on Thursday. This new version of the shoe combines black with volt green while featuring a digi print atop the heel counter and tongue.New Balance RC56 “Ice Wine”Release Date: January 2Release Price: $165 USDWhere to Buy: New BalanceWhy You Should Cop: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. As much as I’d love to ignore that New Balance has rescheduled the launch of the RC56 “Ice Wine” for a third time, it’s the unofficial off-season of the sneaker industry and our options for drops to highlight are particularly limited. So, I’m giving the American sportswear brand a chance to fool me yet again. In case you missed the past two editions of our weekly feature, the Aimé Leon Dore co-designed sneaker is back in silver and black. And if New Balance does decide to bamboozle me for a third time, you can hit up HBX to grab a pair instead.Nike Book 2 “Rising”Release Date: January 2Release Price: $145 USDWhere to Buy: SNKRSWhy You Should Cop: At last, the Nike Book 2 is here. Nike Basketball offered Devin Booker an unprecedented amount of colorways to create for his first signature shoe, making the Book 1 era last much longer than the standard window. Now, its sequel is here and ready for action. The team decided to “trim the fat,” resulting in a slimmer shape that still draws inspiration from some of Booker’s favorite sneakers. This “Rising” colorway places an orange gradient Swoosh atop a black canvas base while the same color combo is present at the midsole, which rests atop an icy translucent outsole.Converse SHAI 001 “Clean Slate”Release Date: January 2Release Price: $130 USDWhere to Buy: ConverseWhy You Should Cop: Speaking of signature shoes, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is back with another monochromatic rendition of his first sneaker, the Converse SHAI 001. Dubbed the “Clean Slate” colorway, this pair is absent of color, instead offering a white canvas that will darken with wear. As a result, the shoe’s uniquely-sculpted upper stands out more than ever.MDS (MIYAKE DESIGN STUDIO) x ASICS HYPER TAPINGRelease Date: January 5Release Price: TBCWhere to Buy: Issey Miyake and ASICSWhy You Should Cop: Rounding out the week is the debut of a new partnership between Issey Miyake’s MDS (MIYAKE DESIGN STUDIO) and ASICS. Referred to as “ISSEY MIYAKE FOOT,” the beloved brand’s new footwear development platform has created the ASICS HYPER TAPING sneaker. This ultra-slim model was previously highlighted during Paris Fashion Week and features unique elastic bands around the upper. Three unique colorways of all-black, all-silver, and a combination of fluorescent green, blue, and orange are set to drop first.Click here to view full gallery at Hypebeast