KICKS: The Air Jordan 4 “Thunder” Rumbles Into This Week’s Best Footwear Drops

As we dive deeper into May, sunshine is not the only thing on the horizon. Footwear brands from Nike (NYSE:NKE +0.23%) to New Balance are gearing up for an action-packed week of noteworthy launches in the space. However, before we let you know where your hard-earned money is going, let’s recap the past week’s headlines.

The latest installment of Sole Mates features a conversation with Charlotte Hornets style icon Kelly Oubre Jr., focusing on his Converse Run Star Hike Platform Low as he went over his connection with the brand, sneaker origins and more. Earlier in the week, we sat down with the team at Packer to discuss its upcoming adidas FYW Intimidation collaboration. Rounding out the week’s features, Cecilie Bahnsen shared the design journey of her couture-flavored ASICS.

Pivoting to the news from the last seven days, Nike made a statement regarding its Tom Sachs partnership — stating they’re not working together at this time. The brand also shared insights regarding bots on its SNKRS platform, noting that it receives almost 12 billion automated entries per month. Collaborations continue to play a key role for the Swoosh with news surrounding Drake’s NOCTA line pointing to a return of the Nike Air Zoom Drive while an official breakdown of his Hot Step Air Terra “Snakeskin” also arrived. Following his last Air Jordan 1 collaboration, Travis Scott was spotted in a reverse Swoosh-equipped Nike Mac Attack. As for its Jordan Brand subsidiary, first looks at the Air Jordan 4 “Frozen Times” and J Balvin’s Air Jordan 3hit the net.

Elsewhere in the industry, adidas reported its first quarter financial results and blamed the absence of the YEEZY brand on its $448 million USD loss. The Three Stripes also continues to build its collaborative catalog with a look at a new Wales Bonner x adidas Samba, two BAPE x adidas Forum Low colorways and an adidas Originals campaign that prominently features the members of BLACKPINK. Wrapping things up, Breanna Stewart and PUMA Hoops revealed the Stewie 2.

After catching up on last week’s updates in the world of footwear, here’s a glimpse of what’s in store for the next seven days. Following this, be sure to browse what’s currently in stock on HBX.

Nike Air Force 1 & Dunk High “SF Chinatown”

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The Darkside Initiative

Release Date: May 9
Release Price: $135 USD to $150 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: San Francisco’s Chinatown is the oldest of its kind in the US and serves as a historic community that has housed countless immigrants for generations. The city was given the nickname “Gold Mountain” as a nod to the California Gold Rush and remains a key cultural neighborhood to this day. For AAPI Month this year, Nike has assembled two special colorways that nod to San Francisco’s Chinatown, landing on the Air Force 1 Low and Dunk High. The former takes on a “Lotus Flower” look that blends pink and white while the latter carries a “Gold Mountain” theme with its white, gray and gold arrangement.

Nike Air Ship “Every Game”

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Asphaltgold

Release Date: May 10
Release Price: $150 USD
Where to Buy: Asphaltgold
Why You Should Cop: A key part of Nike’s storytelling each year places an emphasis on legacy. For its partnership with Michael Jordan, a crucial element to the story involves the Nike Air Ship. It made a return last year thanks to A Ma Maniére and has been spotted in several general release looks since. With its latest appearance, Nike taps further into Jordan’s history, crafting two “Every Game” colorways that nod to the University of North Carolina practice shorts that he’d wear underneath his NBA shorts every game for good luck. Whether blue and white or red and off-white is your preferred combination, both are a fresh new way to recount Jordan’s legacy.

Aimé Leon Dore x New Balance 550 “Taupe” and “Brown”

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Aimé Leon Dore

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Aimé Leon Dore

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Aimé Leon Dore

Release Date: May 10
Release Price: $130 USD
Where to Buy: Aimé Leon Dore
Why You Should Cop: Across recent years, Aimé Leon Dore and New Balance have not slowed down. Recent projects from the duo have featured the Rainier and 860v2. Now, they’ve revisited the 550 with a fresh take on the ever-popular staple. Arriving in two colorways, suede overlays and a canvas base have combined for two looks lathered in brown and off-white hues. Simple co-branding at the tongue, heel and sockliner gives a nod to the duo while ensuring a minimalist presentation. For those looking to add this pair to their rotation, Aimé Leon Dore’s raffle ends just before the clock strikes midnight on May 10.

Jarritos x Nike SB Dunk Low

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Release Date: May 10
Release Price: $130 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: After an action-packed first week of launches via select skate shops, the Jarritos x Nike SB Dunk Low is arriving via the Swoosh. The latest food and beverage-themed SB Dunk, Jarritos’ flavorful design language gives this colorway a thirst-quenching appeal. The cherry on top? Its hemp overlays are tear-away, revealing additional hits of color upon removal.

Nike Air Zoom Generation “Wolf Grey”

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Sneaker Politics

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Sneaker Politics

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Sneaker Politics

Release Date: May 10
Release Price: $190 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: LeBron James and Nike Basketball have an extensive history of signature shoes designed in tandem. Returning to shelves this year, the old-school Air Zoom Generation — James’ first signature shoe — blends its retro appeal with a mix of throwback and modern looks. In “Wolf Grey,” it dons a monochromatic display that is absent of color. Its various grays bring out the shoe’s mixed material build while nods to James appear at the tongue and sockliner.

FRGMT x Converse Weapon

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Converse

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Converse

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Converse

Release Date: May 11
Release Price: $140 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: With decades of experience working together, Hiroshi Fujiwara’s fragment design (FRGMT) and Converse have a well-established partnership. Recently, this included a Converse By You initiative on the Chuck 70 and now features the reintroduction of the Converse Weapon. A silhouette that has been recently reworked by the likes of Rick Owens, it is finally returning in its original form. FRGMT’s much-adored white, black and blue color scheme makes an appearance with its lightning bolt logo at the heel.

New Balance “Grey Day” Pack

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New Balance

Release Date: May 12
Release Price: $120 USD to $220 USD
Where to Buy: New Balance
Why You Should Cop: New Balance fans, prepare your wallets as the annual celebration of “Grey Day” is here. The brand’s holiday sees grey looks prepared across a range of sneakers. This year, the event includes looks on the MADE in USA versions of the 998, 990v6, 996, 990v4 and 998 Core. Adding to this, the 9060, 550, 580 and Fresh Foam X More Trail v3 have also been prepared under the “Grey Day” umbrella. Everything from classic New Balance design to modern staples to the latest technology from the brand has been outfitted in grey. If you’re in need of some versatile footwear, this might be the drop for you.

Bodega x Crocs All-Terrain “NICT-TECH” Clog

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Bodega

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Bodega

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Bodega

Release Date: May 12
Release Price: $90 USD
Where to Buy: Bodega
Why You Should Cop: If 2023’s summer is anything like recent years, slip-on silhouettes will be spotted from the beaches of Miami to the streets of New York City. Capitalizing on this, Crocs has thrived with its collaborative clogs that have starred everyone from Salehe Bembury to Lightning McQueen. Its latest special edition of the Classic Clog features Bodega, who has upgraded it to all-terrain form with its “NICT-TECH” version. A retractable woven nylon hood stars in purple alongside a matching pouch while its base form appears with a mossy finish.

Palace x New Balance MADE in UK 991

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Release Date: May 12
Release Price: TBC
Where to Buy: Palace
Why You Should Cop: As a London-based brand, Palace teaming up with New Balance’s MADE in UK division is a perfect match. Handling the 991, two unique colorways have been assembled that nod to retro color palettes. The first leverages various browns alongside teal and purple hits that make special note of its material composition. On the other end, gray and black go back and forth while hot pink and purple hues appear in a color distribution that nearly matches the other pair. Lastly, hits of co-branding inform onlookers that these aren’t just any New Balances.

Air Jordan 4 “Thunder”

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Shoe Palace

Release Date: May 13
Release Price: $210 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: First comes lightning, then comes thunder. Just under two years ago, Jordan Brand reissued its classic Air Jordan 4 “Lightning” colorway. Now, its “Thunder” is finally set to arrive in its second installment since first appearing in 2006. A standard nubuck upper finds itself coated in black while striking hits of yellow light it up at various points. Its heel bears a white Jumpman logo that matches the tongue branding to complete this look.

NEW MUSIC: MILEY CYRUS' "FLOWERS" BECOMES FASTEST SONG TO REACH 1 BILLION STREAMS IN SPOTIFY HISTORY

UPDATE (May 5, 2023): Nearly three months ago, Miley Cyrus made Spotify history when she surpassed 85 million monthly listeners, which broke the record for the most monthly listeners by a female artist on the streaming platform. Now, she’s made history once again — Cyrus’ “Flowers” has become the fastest song to reach one billion streams in Spotify history.

“Thanks a billion. I love you,” she captioned a celebratory post on Instagram.

“Flowers” is the lead single off Cyrus’ eighth studio album, Endless Summer Vacation. The song was first released on January 13, which is her ex Liam Hemsworth‘s birthday, further sparking speculation that the track is about him.

Check out Cyrus’ post below.

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ORIGINAL STORY (February 16, 2023): Miley Cyrus makes Spotify history thanks to the success of “Flowers.”

Since releasing the empowering single, Cyrus has surpassed 85 million monthly listeners, breaking the record for most monthly listeners by a female artist in Spotify history.

“Flowers” has turned out to be successful in more ways than one. One month after releasing the single, “Flowers” topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for a fourth week, which the former Disney star recently raved about on social media.

She wrote on Twitter, “Happy one month anniversary of Flowers! To still be celebrating #1 on the Hot 100 & around the world is phenomenal. With Valentines Day coming up tomorrow this song feels even more meaningful to me. I hope this holiday is filled with the joy of honoring LOVE in all of its forms.”

“Flowers” is the lead-single from Cyrus’ upcoming album, Endless Summer Vacation, which drops on March 10.

Stay tuned for more news on Cyrus’ music.

For the last few months, Miley Cyrus has been teasing her eighth studio album, Endless Summer Vacation. It all started when she began hinting at her new music era by spreading cryptic messages around Los Angeles in December. The following month, she revealed she was releasing her lead single — “Flowers” on her ex-husband Liam Hemsworth‘s birthday. The chart-topping anthem evidently became known as one of Cyrus’ biggest hits leading her to break records, which added to the anticipation of Endless Summer Vacation. Keep scrolling for everything you need to know about the LP.

“Flowers” is believed to be about Liam Hemsworth.

If you’ve been on social media the last few months, chances are you may have heard about all the speculation hinting at the “Flowers” being about Hemsworth. In addition to the song dropping on his birthday (January 13), the lyrics are seemingly a response to Bruno Mars‘ “When I Was Your Man,” which the Australian actor reportedly dedicated to her throughout their on-and-0ff relationship, which began in 2009 on the set of The Last Song and ended for the final time in 2019.

For instance, the following are the lyrics to “When I Was Your Man”: “I should have bought you flowers/ And held your hand/ Should have gave you all my hours/ When I had the chance/ Take you to every party ’cause all you wanted to do was dance.”

Meanwhile, in “Flowers,” Cyrus sings, “I can buy myself flowers/ Write my name in the sand/ Talk to myself for hours/ Say things you don’t understand/ I can take myself dancing/ And I can hold my own hand/ Yeah, I can love me better than you can.”

Endless Summer Vacation features a demo version of “Flowers.”

Prior to the release of her album, Cyrus dropped the demo version of “Flowers.” If you love the original, but you’re into slower-paced music, this is a perfect listen for you.

The album is divided into two parts.

Cyrus revealed Endless Summer Vacation is divided into AM and PM, with songs that correspond to those different times of the day. “The AM to me is representing the morning time where there’s a buzz, an energy and there’s a potential of new possibilities, it’s a new day,” she previously said on Instagram. “And in the nighttime, it feels like there’s a slinky, seediness, and kind of a grime but a glamour at the same time. In the evening, it’s a great time for rest, it’s a time to recover or it’s a time to go out and experience kind of the wild side. L.A. … There’s a certain energy to the night that you can kind of feel trouble boil up to the surface. It’s very inspiring to me.”

The album, reprised of 13 tracks, is a love letter to L.A.

Two of the songs are collabs — “Thousand Miles” featuring Brandi Carlile and “Muddy Feet” featuring Sia. According to Cyrus, Endless Summer Vacation is a love letter to Los Angeles as it’s “a reflection of the strength she’s found in focusing on both her physical and mental well-being.”

“River” is the “nasty” follow-up single to “Flowers.”

Cyrus released the music video for “River” when Endless Summer Vacation dropped. About the new single, Cyrus said, “It was a time in my life where I was going through just a lot emotionally and personally. All of my songs evolve. They can start as something that was a trouble, like, it just feels like it’s an April shower, it never stops raining and then it started raining down love.”

She added, “‘River,’ sometimes we just need a dance floor banger a.k.a. they don’t want me to talk about the fact the song is about [bleep]. It’s f—ing nasty.”

She worked with Mike WiLL Made-It once again.

Mike Will Made-It was behind Cyrus’ 2013 album Bangerz as well as the single “23.” The record producer recently revealed he worked with Cyrus on “Violet Chemistry,” which he shared a snippet of on social media.

Cyrus has revived her Backyard Sessions special for the release of the album.

The first-ever performances from Endless Summer Vacation will be featured on a Backyard Sessions special, which Cyrus first kicked off in 2012. Since then, she’s done two more specials — one in 2015 and another in 2020. The new Backyard Sessions special will also feature a one-of-a-kind performance of “The Climb” in honor of the song’s 14th anniversary.

Endless Summer Vacation is now out on all music streaming platforms. The new Backyard Sessions special premieres on Disney+ on March 10 at 1 p.m. EST.

Stream Endless Summer Vacation below.

The demo version of “Flowers” drops on March 3 and her new album, Endless Summer Vacation, releases on March 10.

Check out Cyrus’ announcement below.

Listen to a snippet of “Flowers” below.

Miley Cyrus has really been having a time experimenting with her hair colors and hairstylechoices over the last few months. The color itself has remained on the edgier side — featuring rockstar-chic shades of white-blonde and black. Recently, the star revealed yet another sultry take on her white-blonde and black, serving nothing less of a lewk.

In the imagery ahead, you’ll see that Cyrus’s hair is almost like an updated Cruella DeVille. The star is rocking an effortless “buss down” middle part with the white blonde on her right side and the dark brown on the other. If you know the current hair trends, Cyrus is giving us her version of money pieces, which Saweetie so stunningly showed us how to pull off this time last year.

The current style that “Yung Miley” is rocking now is one that we didn’t expect to see her with, but now that she’s in this irregular era, we can’t see her without it. Serve, Miley.

Take a closer look ahead.

Stefanie Keenan Via Getty Images

MUSIC: HOW THE WEEKND AND SAM LEVINSON BROUGHT 'THE IDOL' TO LIFE

While most people may know The Weeknd as a musician, his talents go beyond music. Most recently, The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, is credited as co-creator and actor on The Idol.

Sam Levinson, who is the creator of Euphoria, co-created The Idol with The Weeknd and Reza Fahim. During a new interview with W magazine, Levinson elaborated on the process of how the show came to be.

“Abel came to us with a pitch. He said something that I’ll always remember: ‘If I wanted to start a cult, I could.’ What he meant is that his fans were so loyal and devoted that they would follow him anywhere. That was the germ of the idea for The Idol: what happens when a pop star falls for the wrong guy and no one speaks up.”

The Weeknd and Depp play Tedros and Jocelyn, who are each other’s love interests. For Levinson, a chemistry test was crucial for the actors. “We had met socially, but I didn’t know him,” Depp explained to the publication. “Abel is so warm and friendly, but I was very nervous about the chemistry read because I really wanted the part. Like all my favorite on-screen couples, Jocelyn and Tedros complemented each other in the most dangerous way. They had that push-and-pull connection.”

The Idol premieres on HBO on June 4.

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ORIGINAL STORY (April 12, 2023): The Weeknd has taken to social media to share a snippet of a song from The Idol soundtrack.

“THE IDOL VOL. 1 coming soon (double fantasy & jealous guy just a taste),” he captioned the tweet, which includes a video of him in the recording studio as the song plays.

The music playing in the clip perfectly matches the dark and dramatic tone of the show. The official synopsis reads as follows: “The Idol, set against the backdrop of the music industry, centers on a self-help guru and leader of a modern-day cult, who develops a complicated relationship with an up-and-coming pop idol.”

The forthcoming series stars Lily-Rose Depp as the said pop idol, Jocelyn. Meanwhile, The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, plays a self-help guru and the head of the cult.

The Idol is reportedly premiering at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in May followed by HBO in June.

TOUR: BEYONCÉ'S 'RENAISSANCE' TOUR IS EXPECTED TO EARN HER OVER $2 BILLION USD

Beyoncé is about to become a whole lot richer. According to Forbes, the Renaissance tour is slated to earn the pop star over $2 billion USD.

In a recent report, Forbes stated, “Renaissance could gross between $275 million and $2.4 billion from tickets alone by the time it ends in September. Beyoncé’s most optimistic ticket revenue estimate — $2.4 billion — is well above [Taylor Swift's] Era‘s $1.9 billion most optimistic box office.”

The outlet also explained how these numbers are being determined. “Those eye-popping estimates are based on the most optimistic assumptions of the number of fans buying tickets at their concerts and high average ticket prices of about $700,” Forbes added.

Beyoncé announced the Renaissance tour in February. She will be visiting over 40 cities across the globe, starting in Stockholm and concluding in New Orleans.

Revisit her tour dates below.

May 10: Stockholm, SE (Friends Arena)
May 14: Brussels, BE (Baudoin Stadium)
May 17: Cardiff, UK (Principality Stadium)
May 20: Edinburgh, UK (Murrayfield)
May 23: Sunderland, UK (Stadium of Light)
May 26: Paris, FR (Stade de France)
May 29: London, UK (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium)
May 30: London, UK (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium)
June 6: Lyon, FR (Groupama Stadium)
June 8: Barcelona, SP (Olympic Stadium)
June 11: Marseille, FR (Orange Vélodrome)
June 15: Cologne, DE (Rheinenergiestadion)
June 17: Amsterdam, NL (JC Arena)
June 18: Amsterdam, NL (JC Arena)
June 21: Hamburg, DE (Volksparkstadion)
June 24: Frankfurt, DE (Deutsche Bank Park)
June 27: Warsaw, PL (Pge Nardowy)
July 8: Toronto, CA (Rogers Centre)
July 12: Philadelphia, PA (Lincoln Financial Field)
July 15: Nashville, TN (Nissan Stadium)
July 17: Louisville, KY (L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium)
July 20: Minneapolis, MN (Huntington Bank Stadium)
July 22: Chicago, IL (Soldier Field)
July 26: Detroit, MI (Ford Field)
July 29: East Rutherford, NJ (Metlife Stadium)
Aug. 1: Boston, MA (Gillette Stadium)
Aug. 3: Pittsburgh, PA (Heinz Field)
Aug. 5: Washington, DC (FedEx Field)
Aug. 9: Charlotte, NC (Bank of America Stadium)
Aug. 11: Atlanta, GA (Mercedes Benz Stadium)
Aug. 16: Tampa, FL (Raymond James Stadium)
Aug. 18: Miami, FL (Hard Rock Stadium)
Aug. 21: St. Louis, MI (Dome at Americas Center)
Aug. 24: Phoenix, AZ (State Farm Stadium)
Aug. 26: Las Vegas, NV (Allegiant Stadium)
Aug. 30: San Francisco, CA (Levi’s Stadium)
Sept. 2: Inglewood, CA (SoFi Stadium)
Sept. 11: Vancouver, CA (BC Place)
Sept. 13: Seattle, WA (Lumen Field)
Sept. 18: Kansas City, KS (Arrowhead Stadium)
Sept. 21: Dallas, TX (AT&T Stadium)
Sept. 23: Houston, TX (NRG Stadium)
Sept. 27: New Orleans, LA (Caesars Superdome)

HIP HOP: Lil Yachty To Head On 39-Stop ‘The Field Trip Tour’ This Fall

Lil Yachty released Let’s Start Here, his experimental psychedelic rock album, in January to critical acclaim. Since then, fans new and old have been celebrating the artist’s next era.

Now, they’ll have an opportunity to see him on tour. Yachty has announced The Field Trip Tour, a sprawling global run in support of the LP. Following a string of festival sets throughout August, including Wireless Festival, Lollapalooza and Outside Lands, he’ll officially begin the tour on September 21 at Washington D.C.’s Echostage.

The Field Tour will run throughout North America with stops in New York, Toronto, Nashville, Charlotte, Montreal, New Orleans, Portland and more. A European leg will follow, kicking off in Oslo on November 22. He’ll perform shows in London, Berlin, Paris, Brussels, Barcelona and Zurich, among other main cities.

A general sale for tickets to Yachty’s Field Trip Tour will open up on Friday, May 12 at 10 A.M. local time in North America and at 12 P.M. local time in Europe.

Lil Yachty has announced that he’ll be dropping his latest album Let’s Start Here via Quality Control and Motown Records. The project will land as the Georgia rapper’s fifth studio album, following 2020’s Lil Boat 3.

Yachty shared the cover art for the LP on Instagram, which shows a warped image of men and women wearing suits.
“Let’s Start Here. – 1/27,” he wrote in the caption. “Chapter 2. Thank You for the patience.”

Just late last month, it was reported that Yachty’s album, then-titled Sonic Ranch, had been leaked online. It’s unclear whether Let’s Start Here will include the same songs that were set to appear on Sonic Ranch or if it’s an entirely different body of work.

The rapper has been teasing that his next record will be “a non-rap album.” In an interview with Ice Box last year, he described the LP as a “psychedelic alternative project. It’s different. It’s all live instrumentation.”

Lil Yachty’s Let Start Here is out for streaming on January 27.