Best Sneaker Releases May 2024 Week 1

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There’s been no shortage of excitement surrounding both hip-hop and basketball as the former has seen Drake and Kendrick Lamar continue to escalate their intense beef and the latter wrapped up a seven-game playoff series last weekend as the second round of the NBA Playoffs is now fully underway. However, those aren’t the only two places that are packed with excitement — the sneaker industry is in midseason form as this week is loaded with drops courtesy of Reebok, Nike, Converse, PUMA, ASICS, Jordan Brand and adidas. Though before we give you the full rundown on what to expect, let’s review what went down in the sneaker space last week.

On the feature front, we sat down with Dingyun Zhang to discuss his collaboration with adidas on the Samba — touching on his approach to designing the sneaker, history working on the adidas YEEZY team and more. As for the typical headlines, we caught a glimpse at yet another Yuto Horigome x Nike SB Dunk Low, appearing in a new “Asparagus” colorway for 2025. On top of this, PJ Tucker may have faced elimination from this year’s NBA Playoffs, but he did drop his own Boeing 777-300-inspired Air Flight ‘89 collaboration.

As for Jordan Brand, it saw several key first looks surface. We caught a glimpse at what to expect from the Air Jordan 4 “Orchid,” Nigel Sylvester’s Air Jordan 4 RM “Pro Green” and the Air Jordan 1 “Black Toe Reimagined.” On top of this, additional previews of Travis Scott’s Jordan Jumpman Jack in “Mocha” and the Air Jordan 4 “Oxidized Green” offered a more comprehensive understanding of what to expect from the two shoes.

Elsewhere in the sneaker world, New Balance made plenty of noise with the unveiling of its “Grey Days” celebration for 2024 — introducing a myriad of grey-colored drops to come. It also had initial previews of the Aimé Leon Dore x New Balance 1000 and Jack Harlow x New Balance 1906R appear as well. Rounding out the exciting week, word of Salehe Bembury’s Crocs Pollex Juniper releasing this month and a teaser of PUMA’s new super shoe had people talking.

Now that you’re up to speed with the latest and greatest from the world of footwear, let’s get into what drops to anticipate across the next seven days. Afterwards, be sure to slide by HBX to shop drops that are available to purchase now.

JJJJound x Reebok Club C 85

Release Date: May 9
Release Price: $150 USD
Where to Buy: JJJJound
Why You Should Cop: JJJJound and Reebok are back with yet another collaborative take on the Club C 85. This time, three suede-covered colorways see the duo’s minimalist design language embraced with another blank tongue and JJJJound branding at the lateral window. Its three options of “Cork Suede,” “White Suede” and “Light Grey Suede” all offer desaturated hues that blend neatly with JJJJound’s “Coastal Summer” theme it is embracing this year.

Nike Zoom MMW 6 TRD Run

Release Date: May 9
Release Price: TBC
Where to Buy: 1017 ALYX 9SM
Why You Should Cop: Matthew M Williams and Nike are back at it with another collaborative silhouette, this time encouraging their followers to hit the treadmills with the Nike Zoom MMW 6 TRD Run. Presented in colorways of “Enigma Stone” and “Triple Black,” the two monochromatic finishes embrace gray and black respectively. As for the construction of the shoe, it begins with an oversized sole unit that sees an Air unit at the forefoot, React foam and a full-length carbon plate combine for ample support. From there, a lightweight Flyknit upper that sports “MMW” branding at the tongue rounds things out.

Feng Chen Wang x Converse 2-in-1 Chuck 70

Release Date: May 9
Release Price: $130 USD
Where to Buy: Converse
Why You Should Cop: It’s year five of Feng Chen Wang x Converse and the two are back with yet another rework of the Chuck 70. Running with the 2-in-1 theme that the two have utilized previously, including back in February with their two aged looks, another colorway pairing is set to drop. Embracing “Egret” and “Black” looks, both pairs feature ample contrast throughout. The mash-up sole unit is joined by a new Feng Chen Wang-branded midfoot strap, ensuring that each pair stands out.

NOCTA x Nike Hot Step 2 “White”

Release Date: May 9
Release Price: $200 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: Drake may be losing on the rap side of things, but his footwear with Nike via his NOCTA line continues to win. Introduced last month, the NOCTA x Nike Hot Step 2 now makes a return for its second launch, donning an all-white finish. Silver metallic detailing is scattered throughout the upper as yellow enters the mix at the outsole to add a pop of color to the street-ready sneaker.

KidSuper x PUMA MB.03

Release Date: May 9
Release Price: $135 USD
Where to Buy: PUMA
Why You Should Cop: While Colm Dillane and LaMelo Ball lead two very different lives, they share one thing in common — embracing bold looks. With KidSuper’s take on the PUMA MB.03, this is embraced as the basketball shoe has been equipped with a pink and blue colorway that has its eyes on the hoop. Various facial features are spread throughout its upper, joining Ball’s signature branding elements at the tongue for another eye-catching finish.

Nike ACG Rufus “Limestone and Black”

Release Date: May 10
Release Price: $110 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: Last year, Nike’s first annual SNKRS Showcase event informed us of the many exciting silhouettes that would be returning in 2024. The Nike ACG line stood out with several models featured, including the slip-on ACG Rufus. Now, 13 years after first hitting the market, it’s time for the ACG Rufus to return. Sporting a “Limestone” colorway, its soft suede upper carries a light brown that matches its outsole and is accompanied by black at its midsole.

ASICS US5-S GEL-QUANTUM KINETIC

Release Date: May 10
Release Price: $250 USD
Where to Buy: ASICS
Why You Should Cop: With Kiko Kostadinov and ASICS producing more sneakers together than ever before, fans of the duo have no shortage of options to choose from. The latest looks see the US5-S GEL-QUANTUM KINETIC appear in “Light Indigo” and “Moss.” The former favors various blue hues throughout its layered upper, with black and gray joining the blues at the base and sole. As for its “Moss” rendition, green and black go back and forth throughout the shoe.

Dingyun Zhang x adidas Samba

Release Date: May 10
Release Price: $250 USD
Where to Buy: adidas
Why You Should Cop: Mongolian-Chinese designer Dingyun Zhang is known for his out-of-this-world designs, including several sneakers made for the adidas YEEZY line. Now, Zhang has his own project with the Three Stripes coming to life with the adidas Samba. A slick patent leather in black runs throughout the shoe’s base while the Samba’s suede overlays return in black as well. As for the sole unit, it utilizes a matte-embossed gum rubber.

Air Jordan 1 Low OG “Shadow”

Release Date: May 11
Release Price: $140 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: Few other silhouettes can compare to the Air Jordan 1s OG colorways when it comes to drawing an audience. For Jordan Brand’s latest OG-themed drop, the iconic “Shadow” treatment has been applied to the Air Jordan 1 Low OG shape. Black covers a majority of the leather upper as its signature gray hue dresses the perforated toe box, the Swooshes and the heel. A black Wings logo has been printed atop the heel tab while a white stitched midsole and black rubber outsole round things out.

Bad Bunny x adidas Campus “Dark Brown”

Release Date: May 11
Release Price: $160 USD
Where to Buy: adidas
Why You Should Cop: The Bad Bunny x adidas Campus saga is set to come to a close with the duo’s fourth and final release featuring the silhouette. Benito’s upgraded take on the Campus sees key details like the “el ojo” motif make a return alongside the layered tongue and reinforced heel. As for this colorway, its “Dark Brown” and “Chalk White” combination serves as a nod to his Most Wanted Tour and the western themes that were included throughout his most recent album.