Pharrell's adidas VIRGINIA Adistar Jellyfish Swims to the Top of This Week's Best Footwear Drops

With October fully underway, we've entered the final quarter of the year. Per usual, it's set to be loaded with exciting sneaker launches for the holidays. Before we see the release of any Halloween-themed kicks, we have a star-studded lineup of fall-ready pairs this week, featuring contributions from Nike, On, PUMA, New Balance, ASICS, adidas, and Jordan Brand.

Let's first look back at which headlines caught our eye, starting with the reveal of a Virgil Abloh Archive x Nike Air Force 1 Low at the Virgil Abloh: The Codes exhibition in Paris. The Air Force 1 remained busy with new "Realtree" and Vibram colorways surfacing too. Meanwhile, the next set of kids' footwear from the LEGO x Nike partnership was revealed. Adding to the VAA x Nike teasers, Hiroshi Fujiwara was spotted rocking the long-rumored Virgil Abloh Archive x Air Jordan 1 High OG "Alaska."

Elsewhere in the industry, adidas kept the headlines rolling with new collaborations featuring the likes of Brain Dead, Wales Bonner, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS x Bad Bunny, and CLOT. As for VERSACE, its first collaboration with a footwear brand, Onitsuka Tiger, was teased on the runway. Rounding out the week, Red Wing Heritage presented the 120 Year Capsule, which features three timeless styles.

Now that you're caught up with the latest and greatest from the sneaker space, let's pivot to which sneakers you should look forward to this week, starting with a new Nike Air Max silhouette. Afterwards, don't forget to hit up HBX to shop kicks that are available today.

Air Afrique x Nike Air Max RK61

Release Date: October 9
Release Price: $210 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: Air Afrique is soaring high once again this week. However, the airline-inspired collective isn’t touching the sky, at least not in the literal sense. Instead, it’s dropping its first collaboration with Nike, introducing the Air Max RK61. The new hybrid sneaker combines the shape of a dress shoe with an Air unit that references jet engines and an Air Max Sunder-inspired zip-up upper. Monochromatic finishes of “Coconut Milk” and “Black” place versatility at the forefront of the sneaker.

POST ARCHIVE FACTION (PAF) x On Cloudmonster Hyper

Release Date: October 9
Release Price: $250 USD
Where to Buy: PAF and On
Why You Should Cop: POST ARCHIVE FACTION (PAF) and On have been climbing in prominence over recent years, in part thanks to their collaborative CURRENT FORM collections. The 3.0 entry in the line is here this week, with the Cloudmonster Hyper returning in three new compositions. Black and white, all-white, and a grayscale version of the contemporary sneaker have all been prepared by the two.

A$AP Rocky x PUMA Inhale, Mostro, & Mostro Gabbia

Release Date: October 9
Release Price: $140 USD to $250 USD
Where to Buy: PUMA
Why You Should Cop: A$AP Rocky and PUMA are turning back time to Harlem's jazz renaissance this week, channeling the era’s distinct style with three collaborative sneakers. The Inhale, Mostro, and the eye-catching Mostro Gabbia all embrace animal print-inspired detailing while leveraging each silhouette’s respective edgy flair. The Inhale pairs brown with black as leopard callouts at the heel and tongue give it a unique finish. As for the Mostro and Mostro Grabbia, both shoes embrace an all-black look that is accented by snakeskin-inspired overlays.

Aminé x New Balance ABZORB 2000 “Biblioteca”

Release Date: October 9
Release Price: $180 USD
Where to Buy: New Balance
Why You Should Cop: Aminé and New Balance are back for round two of the rollout of their newest creation: the ABZORB 2000 “Biblioteca.” After poking fun at performative men in the campaign leading up to last week’s launch, New Balance is set to offer the sneaker to those who missed out on the first drop. As we noted in last week’s round-up, the shoe combines various greens together with nods to the pairing while arriving in special packaging.

Nike LeBron 23 "Miami Twice"

Release Date: October 9
Release Price: $210 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: LeBron James and Nike Basketball introduced the world to the Nike LeBron 23 last week and while the King is gearing up for his 23rd season in the NBA, a second colorway is ready to drop this week. The “Miami Twice” look recounts James’ second ring with the Miami Heat, which he achieved in 2013. Pink and blue collide with flipped Swooshes present at the lateral heel.

UP THERE x ASICS GEL-KAYANO 12.1 “Natsukashii”

Release Date: October 9 (UP THERE) and October 11 (ASICS)
Release Price: $300 AUD (approx. $199 USD)
Where to Buy: UP THERE and ASICS
Why You Should Cop: ASICS is back with another Australian crossover, this time circling back with UP THERE to celebrate the store’s 15th anniversary. Their fourth sneaker together is the GEL-KAYANO 12.1 “Natsukashii.” This gray and green take on the runner is centered around Natsukashii, the Japanese perspective on nostalgia. Archival ASICS releases have been referenced as part of this celebratory design.

Song for the Mute x adidas Adizero PR & Taekwondo Mei

Release Date: October 10
Release Price: $130 USD to $170 USD
Where to Buy: adidas
Why You Should Cop: Another Australian brand to get in on the action this week is Song for the Mute. The forward-thinking label has elaborated on its adidas partnership with two new parts arriving this week. First, the Adizero PR is a contemporary runner that sports colorways of white, red, and black. The Takewondo Mei, which we also previewed back in January during Paris Fashion Week, carries olive, beige, and black compositions.

WTAPS x New Balance ABZORB 2010

Release Date: October 10
Release Price: $160 USD
Where to Buy: New Balance
Why You Should Cop: WTAPS is bringing a Japanese streetwear touch to New Balance this week. Its model of choice is the ABZORB 2010, which debuted earlier this year alongside its 2000 counterpart and has since been the subject of several notable launches. The duo’s fresh take on the shoe sees it sport various greens across its mixed material upper. Meanwhile, co-branding is spotted at the lateral heel, heel, and the sockliner.

Jordan Tatum 4 “St. Louis”

Release Date: October 10
Release Price: $130 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: Jayson Tatum is set to join the growing list of NBA players to introduce a new signature shoe just before the 2025-26 NBA season begins. The Boston Celtics star may not end up playing this season due to an Achilles rupture that occurred during last season’s playoffs, however, his new Jordan Tatum 4 is sure to hit the court. The performance-ready sneaker is backed with key technology like a forefoot Air Zoom unit and Cushlon 3.0 midsole and will be debuting in a “St. Louis”-themed colorway that nods to Tatum’s hometown.

Pharrell Williams x adidas VIRGINIA Adistar Jellyfish “Green” & “Grey”

Release Date: October 11
Release Price: $300 USD
Where to Buy: adidas
Why You Should Cop: Rounding out this week’s stacked lineup of drops is the second Pharrell Williams x adidas VIRGINIA Adistar Jellyfish drop. The duo first offered the sneaker in August, with it flying off of shelves in “Orange.” Now, it’s back in two new looks: “Green” and “Grey.” Both pairs offer the same wavy, oversized build, with their respective signature colors adding to the eye-catching form of the upper.

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