The Nike Doernbecher Freestyle 21 Collection Shines Bright in This Week's Best Footwear Drops

After a quiet start to the year, sneaker brands are finally joining the Swoosh in diving into their 2026 lineups. This week, New Balance, Nike, Salomon, ASICS, Jordan Brand, and Saucony have all assembled key drops to anticipate. But before we dive into this week's 10 key launches, let's look back at the headlines that surfaced in the past seven days, starting with our latest footwear feature.

Our annual preview of the year, this time titled 26 Sneaker Releases to Look Forward to in 2026, brought together all of they key storylines that we know about (so far). One project that would've been a fitting addition is the NikeSKIMS Air Rift pack, which just surfaced. We also saw Hiroshi Fujiwara preview a fragment design x Nike Mind 001 mule. Meanwhile, the Air Force 1 Low had a noteworthy week with a Chrome Hearts x NOCTA pair surfacing, as well as a Swarovski-adorned edition for Ja Morant.

Elsewhere, a preview of Travis Scott's Air Jordan 1 Low OG "Pink Pack" was shared alongside word of the Air Jordan 1 "Royal" returning later this year. Pharrell is another artist who made waves, this time thanks to his adidas VIRGINIA Adistar Jellyfish sneaker being confirmed to re-release in “Team Royal Blue” next month after a limited drop in Las Vegas last year. Bad Bunny's signature shoe with the Three Stripes, the BadBo 1.0, also popped up again. As for Kyrie Irving, his ANTA KAI3 was officially revealed with a special "CNY" colorway on the way. Rounding out the week's news, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's Converse SHAI 001 “Ares Grey” is set to drop next week.

With all of last week's key headlines revisited, let's look ahead at what's coming this week, starting with more New Balance ABZORB 2000 colorways. After you complete your walkthrough of our list for the week, make sure you hit up HBX to shop for a new pair today.

New Balance ABZORB 2000 “Metallic” Pack

Release Date: January 14
Release Price: $170 USD
Where to Buy: New Balance
Why You Should Cop: One of New Balance's key storylines of 2025 was the introduction of the ABZORB 2000 and ABZORB 2010. The former is a contemporary rendition of 2000s runners that has now been modified for a new "Metallic" pack. Its already modern overlays have been revamped with stronger geometry, giving the sneaker a new edge. This is present with both the "Silver Metallic" and "Black Metallic" colorways, which each feature monochromatic builds in their respective hues.

Nike Air Force 1 Low “Valentine’s Day” Pack

Release Date: January 14
Release Price: $125 USD
Where to Buy: Nike
Why You Should Cop: Nike is preparing sneakerheads for Valentine's Day by putting together three new holiday-themed takes on the Air Force 1 Low. Set to arrive one month ahead of the love-centric day, this new "Valentine's Day" pack offers an all-over heart print atop the upper. This joins thematic graphics at the tongue tag and sockliner, as well as a silver heart-shaped locket charm to commemorate the theme. Its three color options stick solely to pink, red, and black respectively.

OAMC x Salomon XT-QUEST

Release Date: January 15
Release Price: €200 EUR (approx. $233 USD)
Where to Buy: Salomon
Why You Should Cop: Luxury-leaning streetwear brand OAMC is back in the footwear mix this week, teaming up with a new partner, Salomon. The two have united to take on the XT-QUEST, putting together a sleek black and silver composition that blends OAMC's stylish sensibilities with Salomon's trail running DNA. Silver hardware stands out against a black mixed material backdrop. Meanwhile, subtle white OAMC text can be spotted at the forefoot, tongue, heel, and sockliner.

Nike Vomero Premium “White/Bright Crimson” & “Black/Sapphire”

Release Date: January 15
Release Price: $230 USD
Where to Buy: Nike
Why You Should Cop: Nike has continued to expand its running vertical with new iterations of the Pegasus, Vomero, and the Structure lines. For the cushioning-oriented Vomero lineup, the Vomero Premium debuted as a top-of-the-line offering. Dual Air Zoom units and a full-length ZoomX midsole maximize cushioning and energy return at the sizable sole unit. Now, new compositions of “White/Bright Crimson” and “Black/Sapphire” bring bold accent colors to white and black canvases.

HSDT x ASICS GEL-NYC 2.0 SSHS

Release Date: January 16
Release Price: $170 USD
Where to Buy: ASICS
Why You Should Cop: HAL STUDIOS, aka HSDT, is back with ASICS to introduce the GEL-NYC 2.0 SSHS, tapping into New York City's one-of-a-kind energy with a campaign that features Nas and Raekwon. This advanced refresh of the GEL-NYC sees it equipped with an industrial design language. Two collaborative colorways have been assembled by the duo. One sees various brown hues accompanied by dark gray and black detailing. Meanwhile, the other leans on a Wu-Tang-esque black and yellow that is rich in contrast.

Nike LeBron 23 “Green With Envy”

Release Date: January 16
Release Price: $210 USD
Where to Buy: Nike
Why You Should Cop: Nike Basketball is continuing to highlight LeBron James' illustrious career with more colorways themed around special moments. Dropping this week is a "Green With Envy" pair that recounts James and the Miami Heat overtaking the Boston Celtics as the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. The shoe's signature crown shape at the mudguard takes on an iridescent finish, joining a soft green upper that is accented by a red and blue upper level to the tongue. Meanwhile, a thematic heel graphic rounds out the pair.

Air Jordan 4 “Flight Club”

Release Date: January 17
Release Price: $220 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: The Jumpman team is turning back time this week with the release of its new Air Jordan 4 "Flight Club" colorway. The pair is a tribute to the brand's long-defunct mail-in membership program of the same name and sports its logo at the tongue tag. "Sail" and "Black" are the shoe's two key tones, with hints of "University Red" scattered throughout its beloved build.

Nike SB Air Max 95 “Cacao Wow”

Release Date: January 17
Release Price: $185 USD
Where to Buy: Select skate shops
Why You Should Cop: The busy weekend of drops continues with the latest from Nike SB, another SB Air Max 95 composition. Now being offered in "Cacao Wow," the skate-oriented remake of the classic Air Max 95 continues after its debut year in 2025. This modified version of the sneaker features various gray hues accompanied by black and brown detailing, resulting in a presentation that is as versatile as the design itself.

Politics x Saucony Progrid Omni 9 “Sportsman’s Paradise”

Release Date: January 17
Release Price: $180 USD
Where to Buy: Sneaker Politics
Why You Should Cop: The team over at Sneaker Politics is back with another footwear project, this time teaming up with Saucony to rework its Progrid Omni 9 under a "Sportsman's Paradise" theme that celebrates New Orleans. Another point of celebration for the sneaker is Sneaker Politics, which has its 20th anniversary commemorated with a special sockliner graphic. As for the shoe itself, it sports a bold combination of bright blue, teal, green, brown, and off-white.

Nike Doernbecher Freestyle 21 Collection

Release Date: January 17
Release Price: $130 USD to $230 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: At last, the 21st lineup from the Nike Doernbecher Freestyle program is here. We previewed the six-shoe range back in October and now it's finally set to drop via the Swoosh this week. Six patients of OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital have worked with volunteer designers from Nike to create special sneakers that celebrate the patient-designers' personalities and medical journeys. The V2K Run, Vomero Plus, Air Force 1 ’07, Air Max Dn8, Air Max Plus, and Air Jordan 17 are this year's included silhouettes, with each design unlike any other to drop previously.

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