Welcome to SNX DLX! While 2021 has been blessing us with a must-cop drop here or there, this week we’re finally back into the full swing of things. Our top five this go-around is absolutely packed with new efforts from Salehe Bembury, who just launched his own Spunge label with two dope hiking-inspired sneakers; Stüssy and Nike, which linked up for a colorful hand-crafted collection; and a continuation of Adidas and Blonde McCoy’s fruitful collaboration.
On the apparel end, we have fresh from Paris Fashion week looks from Hermès and White Mountaineering, a new colorful collection from Teddy Fresh, and a new entry in our “Dud of the Week.” Let’s dive in!
Salehe Bembury x ANTA SB-01/02
Hot of the heels of his recent New Balance collaboration (one of our favorite sneakers of 2020), Salehe Bembury is back with a two sneaker collection made in partnership with Chinese sports label ANTA releasing on his own newly-created Spunge label. Bembury utilizes his usual stylistic tendencies here, offering muted colorways juxtaposed with wild accents and unconventional design lines and shapes. The kicks come in two distinct silhouettes, the SB-01, which is a high top with a bootie, as well as the low-cut SB-2, which is probably one of the dopest streetwear-inspired hiking shoes we’ve ever seen.
Both pairs drop in a number of dope earthy colorways.
The Salehe Bembury x ANTA SB-01 and SB-02 are set to drop on January 26th for a retail price of $90 for the SB-02 and $120 for the SB-01. Shop the pairs exclusively at Spunge or on the aftermarket at StockX.
J. Cole x PUMA DREAMER 2 January 28th
We here at SNX DLX haven’t been the biggest fans of J. Cole’s sneaker output. The PUMA DREAMERS have never been as next-level as Yeezys, they’re not as stylish as anything out of Ivy Park, and, as fars as PUMAs go, they’re far from our favorite silhouette. But we’re really digging on the brand new DREAMER 2.
The DREAMER 2 features a slightly higher profile, giving the sneaker’s upper more visual ratio in relation to the DREAMER’s oversized midsole border. This simple move is a huge improvement over the original design which always looked a bit squished.
The J. Cole x PUMA DREAMER 2 January 28th is set to drop rather shockingly on January 28th for a retail price of $135. Pick up a pair at the PUMA webstore or via Foot Locker.
Adidas UltraBOOST 21
The Adidas UltraBOOST single-handedly changed the footwear market in 2015. Today, Yeezys still utilize the BOOST technology, and just about every brand has since launched their BOOST-equivalent, but Adidas hasn’t really captured that magic with any of the other iterations of the UltraBOOST. The 2021 model, which features a chunkier heel and an overall rounder shape, comes close.
According to Adidas, this new UltraBOOST features 6% more BOOST in the heel, giving you walking-on-cloud-like steps on all terrain. The line drops in a handful of beloved colors, like triple white/black, and pairs with Volt accents.
The Adidas UltraBOOST 21 is set to drop on January 28th for a retail price of $180. Pick up a pair at the Adidas webstore.
Stûssy x Nike Hand-Dyed Air Force 1
We’re getting heavy hippie vibes from Stüssy and Nike’s new Air Force 1 linkup, which dresses the silhouette in 5 extremely limited hand-painted designs that look like what the Nike Grateful Dead Dunks should’ve looked like. We know the Grateful Dead Dunks were huge but look at these! They’re hand-painted, unique, and feel like they truly embody hippie skate culture in a way the Dunks just didn’t.
The Stüssy x Nike Hand-Dyed Air Force 1 is set to drop on January 29th for an unannounced price. Pick up a pair exclusively at the Stüssy webstore.
Blondey x Adidas Superstar “Schwartz Tint”
Pro skater Blondey McCoy is Adidas’ secret weapon. Blondey has consistently dropped some of Adidas’ dopest, most fashionable Superstars and this week he’s kicking off 2021 with a translucent “Schwartz Tint” colorway which will force you to always be on top of your sock game. On its own, the tint looks great — a natural pair for classic black or white socks — but once you start incorporating that tint with some more vibrant colors? It’s practically a new pair of shoes each time you try them on.
The Blondey Adidas Superstar “Schwartz Tint” is set to drop on January 30th for a retail price of $123. Pick up a pair at Adidas UK or THAMES MMXX.
White Mountaineering FW21
Japanese outdoor label White Mountaineering is heating things up with its Fall Winter 2021 collection, which was just unveiled in a digital show at Paris Fashion Week. The functional winter-wear collection consists of sweaters, loose-fitting tapered trousers (which allow for winter layering if you need it, and otherwise just look dope), lush down sweaters, and GORE-TEX equipped Parkas.
Only White Mountaineering could turn the trail into a runway, and us fashion-obsessed nature lovers appreciate that about the label.
The White Mountaineering FW21 collection is shoppable at White Mountaineering’s online store now.
Hermès FW21
Unveiled at this week’s digital Paris Fashion Week, the latest Hermès FW21 collection is the luxury label’s best collection in some time. Featuring a roster of elevated basics, the full FW collection unifies each piece with a great color palette consisting of cumin, wisteria, rough H, frosted blue, licorice, pepper, and petrol blue. Yes, leave it to Hermès to make “Petrol” sound (and look) beautiful.
By taming down the brand’s more luxurious tendencies, Hermès managed to deliver a collection that slots nicely with contemporary streetwear but still features some forward-thinking weirdness — like asymmetric detailing and random out of place pockets.
Hit the Hermès to explore the full collection.
Teddy Fresh x Care Bears Capsule Collection
If you asked me if I thought a Care Bear-themed streetwear collection was a good idea I’d say “of course not,” but that’s probably why I’m not the designer of a fashion label. Leave it to the endlessly imaginative Hila Klein to make a sweat-suit with Care Bears a “must-own” piece of modern streetwear. The second you see it, the collaboration reveals itself as an obvious match, combining the serene and dreamy watercolor aesthetic of OG Care Bears artwork with Teddy Fresh’s high-quality production — including jacquard weaving and all-over printing — and the brand’s love of pastel.
If you feel like you can’t handle an all-over print watercolor Care Bear sweatsuit (live a little), Teddy Fresh also has some tamer options, including a new iteration of their colorblock hoodie that combines the Teddy Fresh teddy with Grumpy Bear.
The Teddy Fresh x Care Bears collection is set to drop on January 28th at Teddy Fresh.
Dud Of The Week: Gentle Monster “UNOPENED: The PROBE” Collection
Here is a piece of advice for all eye-wear brands out there. Don’t try to make futuristic glasses. It never works. Anytime someone tries to make something futuristic, it ends up being dated in a few years. Seoul-based Gentle Monster is only the most recent brand to make that mistake.
Is there something legitimately cool in the brand’s 26 glasses collection? Probably, but we’ll never find out because of this Matrix-meets-computer-art ad-campaign.