Palace and Nike's First Collaboration Leads This Week's Best Footwear Drops

Of the many ongoing sports leagues capturing our attention currently, none can top what just happened in the World Series. The Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers went back and forth for 18 innings last night, with Freddie Freeman coming in as the hero for the Dodgers with a walk-off home run. As players (and fans) recover for game four tonight, the show must go on, and so will the footwear industry. Jordan Brand, Vans, PUMA, Nike, and New Balance have all prepared notable drops for this week, but before we dive into the complete lineup, let's look back at what footwear news stood out to us in the past seven days.

Nike led the way with the unveiling of NIKE, Inc. Sport Offense, a consolidated unit of innovation, design, and product teams from Nike, Jordan Brand, and Converse. It also teamed up with Zellerfeld to present the Air Max 95000, the duo's second 3D-printed sneaker, one that builds upon the DNA of the Air Max 95. Speaking of the 1995 classic, we got an official look at the return of the Air Max 95 Zip and Eric Koston's version of the SB-designed Air Max 95. Another shoe Nike SB is remixing is the Air Force 1, which finally leaked with a classic "Flax" colorway. The Nike SB team also saw official images of its Kirkland Signature-branded SB Dunk Low hit the net. Meanwhile, Jordan Brand's rollout of the Air Jordan 40 continued with colorways that pay homage to the Air Jordan 16 and Air Jordan 23.

Elsewhere in the industry, adidas hosted its "POWER OF THREE" runway event at Shanghai Fashion Week, sharing a preview of upcoming footwear projects. In addition to this, it dropped a new colorway of Pharrell's adidas VIRGINIA Adistar Jellyfish, offering a "Blue" version exclusively in Las Vegas. Its key output was rounded out by the unveiling of Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, Bad Bunny, and adidas' Bad Bunny Adiracer GT and Motorsport collection. New Balance made plenty of noise too, with Joe Freshgoods teasing a new ABZORB 2010 collaboration and Aimé Leon Dore's RC56 appearing in an in-line "Blue Gemstone" colorway. The brand was also one of two featured in CDG's latest set of sneaker collaboration launches.

With all of the past week's key headlines revisited, let's dive into what to expect from the week to come, starting with another Zion Williamson x Air Jordan 1 Low OG. Once you complete your walkthrough of the 10 drops ahead of us, don't forget to slide by HBX to shop styles that are available today.

Zion Williamson x Air Jordan 1 Low OG “Voodoo Alternate”

Release Date: October 29
Release Price: $165 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: It’s been nearly three years since Zion Williamson and Jordan Brand teamed up to create the Air Jordan 1 Low OG “Voodoo.” The sneaker, with various branding elements flipped for a spooky effect, was followed by a special “Voodoo Alternate” pair that had no release details associated with it. Years later, the design is finally arriving in the hands of the public, with its “Regency Purple” and “Dark Raisin” composition revisiting the “Voodoo” theme with a fresh palette.

UNDERCOVER x OTW by Vans Old Skool 36 & Era 95

Release Date: October 29
Release Price: $120 USD to $135 USD
Where to Buy: UNDERCOVER and HBX
Why You Should Cop: Jun Takahashi’s UNDERCOVER and Vans have a storied history as partners. Adding to this ever-growing legacy, the OTW by Vans division has offered up two silhouettes for the Japanese label to remix: the Old Skool 36 and the Era 95. The former features the art of Josep Baqué with monsters scattered atop the sneaker in black and white. Meanwhile, the Era 95 offers a more personal touch, with Takahashi’s dog drawn atop white and red color schemes. Both pairs are rounded out by UNDERCOVER branding at the lateral portion of the midsole.

VandyThePink x PUMA Suede

Release Date: October 29
Release Price: $120 USD
Where to Buy: VandyThePink
Why You Should Cop: VandyThePink continues to demonstrate that the sky’s the limit to his craft. The designer has teamed up with everyone from BAPE to the Pokémon franchise, bringing his playful artwork to life in many different ways. After specializing in custom shoes, he started to do footwear collaborations as well, with his new PUMA project dropping this week as one of many Vandy-led campaigns to date. These two takes on the Suede sneaker reimagine his burger motif, recreating the color schemes of key elements across the shoe. Picnic blankets are also referenced with the thick, gingham-patterned laces.

Nike Kobe 9 Elite Low Protro “Moonwalker”

Release Date: October 30
Release Price: $220 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: Nike Basketball brought back the Kobe 9 Elite as a Protro in both low-top and high-top form last year and have continued to offer new and familiar looks. The latest modern re-release to come is this “Moonwalker” colorway, a purple look from 2014 that pays homage to another legendary MJ, Michael Jackson. It also features silver Swooshes, an icy translucent outsole, and a drop-in React foam midsole.

New Balance MADE in USA 990v6 “Driftwood” & “Dark Camo”

Release Date: October 30
Release Price: $200 USD
Where to Buy: New Balance
Why You Should Cop: Teddy Santis and the New Balance MADE in USA team are back with another launch for Fall/Winter 2025 this week. The two have circled back to the 990v6, a lifestyle runner that has been featured often since its introduction in 2022, almost three years from the date of this drop. “Driftwood” and “Dark Camo” colorways stick to the model’s typical mixed material build, combining mesh with suede and synthetic overlays. As for the color schemes, both feature various browns, with the “Driftwood” version appearing in a lighter look than its “Dark Camo” counterpart.

Martine Rose x Nike Shox MR4

Release Date: October 30
Release Price: $210 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: Martine Rose and Nike have reunited for another campaign, this time looking to gamers for inspiration. Within the duo’s new expansive capsule, one that includes a co-branded gaming chair, is the return of the Shox MR4. This fashion-forward take on the Shox franchise first took the world by storm in 2022 and has led to a diverse range of colorways since. Now, the heeled mule dons two more eye-catching finishes: a white with red accents and an all-red.

Palace x Nike Total 90 III

Release Date: October 31
Release Price: TBC
Where to Buy: Palace
Why You Should Cop: A new era of Palace is upon us. After nearly a decade of projects with adidas, the UK-based skateboarding brand has switched sides to the Swoosh. Its first collaboration with Nike reinvents the Total90 franchise into the “P90” line. Complementing its apparel range is a new take on the Total 90 III, one that sees white and silver collide on the upper, hosting a lime green at its various branding details, including the lateral heel’s co-branding hit.

AURALEE x New Balance T500

Release Date: October 31
Release Price: ¥22,000 JPY (approx. $145 USD)
Where to Buy: New Balance
Why You Should Cop: Missed out on AURALEE’s latest New Balance collaboration last week? Well, you’re in luck as part two of two is taking place this week. For the duo’s latest project, one that was pulled straight off the runway at Paris Fashion Week earlier this year, the T500 is the canvas the two chose. “Vintage Brown” and “Vintage Ivory” colorways both offer tasteful presentations that utilize nubuck with mesh and perforated leather respectively.

Nike LeBron 23 “Grand Opening”

Release Date: November 1
Release Price: $210 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: LeBron James has yet to play a game this NBA season. However, when he does take the court, he’ll have plenty of new sneakers to wear. King James introduced the Nike LeBron 23 this summer and has continued to drop one new colorway after another. This week, a new “Grand Opening” theme pays homage to his legendary first game in the NBA and his first signature shoe that he wore during it. Black, red, and gold combine with a textured white upper while any icy outsole completes the court-ready pair.

Air Jordan 4 “Cozy Girl”

Release Date: November 1
Release Price: $220 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: Jordan Brand is rounding out this week’s lineup of best footwear drops with another Saturday launch. This week, the Air Jordan 4 is the star of the show, with a new “Cozy Girl” colorway of the sneaker set to debut. The seasonal pair embraces a fall-ready palette with a “Hemp”-colored suede upper and rubber outsole. From there, the laces and lining both offer a plush touch.

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