FRESH KICKS:

It looks like the Jordan Brand will be releasing a new Air Jordan 1 that throws it back to an earlier issue of the famed Sports Illustrated magazine. Aptly called, “A Star Is Born,” the new shoes recall Michael Jordan‘s first-ever cover feature on the mag where he’s seen in action about to score on three Miluwakee Bucks defenders. Oddly enough, the shoes borrow colors from that particular Dec. 10, 1984 issue, from the typeface used down to the stripes that appear on the Bucks’s uniforms.

From the looks of it, the special edition AJ1 is made from black and white leather then accented with a green, red and white swoosh that looks to be embroidered on. Finally, the “A Star Is Born” call out is seen on the side lace flaps on the ankle part of the kicks. They will retail for about $160 USD and release around the holidays of this year.

Virgil Abloh‘s main brand Off-White™ just keeps rolling out new kicks for this season. Newer releases have included a variety of the popular “Off-Court” model but now we have a low-top design in a slightly more eye-catching design. The shoe is made in Italy from luxurious leather and accented with green-hued Off-White™ cross insignias and laces. Panels display an animal print in black and grey tones. Signature orange zip-tie is added on for familiar flare. Lastly, uppers are placed on white sturdy rubber soles for comfort and traction.

The new footwear retails for $670 USD now at FarFetch.

Continuing the 50th-anniversary celebrations of its key Suede model, PUMA recently tapped brand collaborator The Weeknd to offer his spin on the classic footwear option.

Utilizing the military-inspired aesthetic that serves as the focus of his XO collection for the German sportswear brand, Abel Tesfaye added an array of straps the high cut iteration of the PUMA Suede. Available in “Black/Gum,” “Black/White” and “Glacier Grey,” the XO x Suede 50 PUMA features an unconventional buckle lacing system running from the shoe’s toe and ankle regions. Accenting comes in the form of an “XO” tongue label, along with “19” and “68” placed on the tongues in reference to the Suede’s birth year, 1968. The collaboration also sees the sole expressed with a notable speckled pattern to match the various colored suede uppers.

Take a look at The Weeknd’s XO x Suede 50 Puma above and expect the pack to release at select retailers come August 11.

Part of Yohji Yamamoto and adidas’s collaborative Y-3 Fall/Winter 2018 collection is the Bashyo II sneaker, which we are now afforded a closer look at. Earlier this year, we visited the silhouette’s SS18 Bashyo predecessor, constructed mainly of canvas, with this new rendition taking on more of an elevated luxe appeal.

Fashioned from a mix of leather, suede, and canvas, the basketball-inspired high-top keeps to a clean monochromatic finish with the only tonal contrast seen on the tongue and outsole branding. Hitting the side of each shoe is a debossed Y-3 emblem, sitting directly behind a stitched image of the enigmatic designer’s signature. A branded badge placed at the rear-side midsole rounds out the fashion-forward kicks. Priced at $350 USD, you can pick up the new Bashyo II sneaker through Y-3’s online shop.

Ever since its initial reveal late last year, Nike has remained busy cranking out a barrage of colorway reworks and textile makeovers of its contemporary Air Max 270 silhouette. New to the lineup is this “Ashen Slate” rendition, which sees grey mix in with both black and white accents.

The engineered uppers take on the signature hue with black taking up space on the toe, heel, outsole and vertical-style heel bubble, while white finds a home on the front portion of the midsole. Statement Swoosh emblems appear on the forefoot and side with Air 270 branding found on the tongue and heel areas. Nike’s new Air Max 270 will be priced at $150 USD and will soon make its way to select Swoosh retailers.