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Bountiful harvest Thought the Swoosh was finished with their barrage of Dunks in the new year ... wrong. Having Dunk fatigue, and thinking the silhouette would go back to the vault ... think again. One of the earlier drops of 2022 will be the "Harvest Moon" color scheme. With a clean light brown leather overlay, supported by an equally as clean Sail underlay; the upper is supported by a Harvest Moon solid rubber outsole. You can find the women's exclusive at select Nike Sportswear retailers such as Solebox; release info to follow. Nike Dunk Low "Harvest Moon" Sail/Harvest Moon DD1503-114 1. 13. 22. $100

Back from Barcelona Scottie Pippen's kicks of choice during the 1992 Summer Olympics returns for the first time ever. The Nike Air Flight II has been contained to the vault for decades, 30 years removed from the Dream Team's epic run to Olympic Gold as the greatest assembling of basketball talent the game and world has ever known. Throughout the games, Pippen donned the silhouette and the retro is true to the original with its white leather base, Midnight Navy, Red and Metallic Gold accenting scattered throughout. Check out the official images below and stay with Sole-U for release info as it comes forth. Nike Air Flight II "Olympic" White/Red-Midnight Navy-Metallic Gold DJ2518-102 xx. xx. 22. $120

Charles Barkley's classic Nike Basketball signature is returning after a brief OG run in 2020. The 1994 silhouette returns in a Phoenix Suns motif that is reminiscent of 1995's Air Max CB 34 from a color blocking standpoint. And true to player exclusive formatting, a black stitched 34 has been etched into the lateral foxing. This new colorway, true to the '94 classic comes with white tumbled leather with bold black and Varsity Purple and Total Orange accenting throughout. Release is slated for the top of February at Nike Sportswear retailers. Update: After a soft February launch, the classic Charles Barkley signature is coming back around again this spring. While a small number of retailers carried the first drop, the second will be much appreciated and carried at select Nike Sportswear partners. Nike Air Max 2 CB 94 PE White/Varsity Purple-Black-Total Orange DO5880-100 2. 1. 22. (First launch) 5. 1. 22. (Spring launch) $160

There is perhaps no more iconic duo in footwear than muted grey on a New Balance silhouette. Both the V4 "Version Series" and the V5 "Made In USA" come with a smooth combination of soft and plush suedes with the sporty ruggedness of the mesh underlays that help piece the entire look together. Forty years after the advent of the 990, the 1982 classic is just as popular as ever. And unlike normal suedes, the V5 is actually Vegan, not comprised of any animal rawhides. Below you'll find the mid-January release dates for the 990 V4 and 990 V5, both dropping at select New Balance retailers such as End. You can sign up for the V4 and the V5 on End Launches. Are either of these drops that you'd like to add to your rotation? New Balance 990 V4 "Version Series" Grey M990VS4 1. 14. 22. New Balance 990 V5 Vegan "Made In USA" Grey M990JS5 1. 21. 22.

Outside the lines. At long last, Brian Donnelly aka KAWS is able to share with the world a forthcoming project and only a few days after the posting teaser to his Instagram account, The North Face has officially unveiled the entire KAWS x TNF collection. Included in the lineup is the staple Mountain Jacket, a retro of 1996's Nuptse Jacket, an assortment of duffle bags, cold-weather accessories such as gloves and masks. Keeping in lockstep with the brand's "Never Stop Exploring" mantra, the collection sports abstract camouflage designs, armed with KAWS' signature "XX" co-branded with TNF's iconic logo. The complete KAWS x The North Face collection; across men's, women's and kids' sizings will arrive February 17th at The North Face storefronts, select retailers and online at TNF. Scroll through official imagery of the collection after the jump. images via The North Face

CDG CDG CDG CDG Comme des Garçons x Vans are delivering a clean, pre-seasonal Vans Old Skool project. A beautiful motif of white leather and shell white toe box, eyestay and heel cap is graciously accenting by a black topline along the midsole with CDG CDG CDG CDG CDG wrapped around the frieze of the midsole – completing the look. CDG showcased the upcoming drop on their Instagram handle along with a release date, see both the imagery and drop late after the jump. You can cop online at CDG and Dover Street Market. Comme Des Garçons x Vans Old Skool White 1. 7. 22.

BAPE and Reebok are joining forces once again; this go-round will be a spring 2022 release. With past collections featuring the Reebok Club C, Reebok Ventilator, Reebok Instapump Fury and Reebok Question, you can also bet that the center will be another timeless Reebok Classics silhouette. The extremely vague teaser featuring only six colored BAPE camouflage panels is not enough to draw an inference, so we'll just have to wait for the official information to come forth. Update: The BAPE x Reebok Instapump Fury OG and Club 85 C will release online at Reebok and at select Reebok Certified Network retailers on Friday, January 21st. Each of the six colors from the promotional asset is utilized to the cover the entire upper of the classic Reebok mode. While the Club C 85 sports a traditional white, red and blue look, both with a stylized BAPESTA x Reebok crossed logo stitched into the heels. Scroll for the official images below. BAPE x Reebok Instapump Fury OG White/Black-Black Q47370 1. 21. 22. $200 BAPE x Reebok Club C 85 White/White-Black Q47367 1. 21. 22. $150

Yohji Yamamoto's adidas Y-3 partnership continues to be strong years and years after its inception. Taking the blend of high-end fashion, performance and functionality, the Y-3 branding is given to the now-annual Ultraboost. Uncaged, the silhouette is a slip-on; easy on, easy off ... with a Primeknit constructed upper with an elevated BOOST midsole for premiere cushioning. And in a special twist, this collaboration pays homage to an adidas Y-3 favorite, the Qasa with the same heel clip molded onto the back of the model. Scroll through the official images below and if you're feeling these, head over to adidas' webshop to snag your pair. adidas Y-3 Ultraboost 22 Black/Core White-Chalk Pearl GX1079 $300

Doors open March 2022 Tuesday – Michigan Governor, Gretchen Whitmer signed a bill into law which will reopen the state's first and only Historically Black College & University, Lewis College. The institution closed its doors in 2013 after being open for 85 years. With a focus on business, the university will once again house students and be a haven for creativity, business and eduction thanks in large part to Pensole Academy founder, D'Wayne Edwards. The former designer and footwear director with Jordan Brand whose work spans decades and projects including the Air Jordan 21 and Air Jordan 22 opened Pensole in April 2011 in Portland, Oregon. Since opening the academy, the institution has been a vehicle for aspiring designers, many of which finding roles within the footwear industry post completion. The newly minted Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design will specialize and offer programs in design, sustainability, business, STEM with the objective of serving African-American creatives across various industries. Learn more about Pensole Lewis by following the link. image via Pensole

Shaping up to be a year to remember As the clock is close to striking midnight on 2021, there is a big year on the horizon in 2022 from brands and major players in the sneaker industry. Everything from anniversaries to anticipated and rumored collaborations, and surely surprises along the way. We'll chronicle what you can expect and look forward to in the new year from multiple angles. Into the Metaverse The next frontier is ahead of us with Web 3.0, and with that comes the expansion and involvement of some heavy hitters in the Metaverse. adidas and Nike have both thrown their respective hats into the ring – adidas partnering with the creators of the Bored Ape Yacht Club; a now famous and extremely sought after NFT collective and Nike having acquired RTFKT. "The opportunity with the Metaverse is it creates infinite possibilities for us to connect, create and belong. And it's especially that belonging part that we focused on initially." – Tareq Nazlawy – Senior Director Digital, adidas "Our plan is to invest in the RTFKT brand, serve and grow their innovative and creative community and extend Nike’s digital footprint and capabilities." – John Donahoe, President and CEO of Nike With both brands entering the Metaverse, there is another layer of validity added, but also comes a larger audience and following which will make NFTs and all the offerings of Web3 convoluted. But for sneakerheads who are into NFTs and abreast to that world, being able to have collectibles directly from your favorite brand can open another world of possibilities. Nike Air Force 1 Turns 40 "It was my first basketball shoe." – Bruce Kilgore That's one hell of an introduction. Bruce Kilgore's first basketball design is perhaps his most iconic and it celebrates a major milestone in 2022. The beloved Air Force 1 will turn 40. Being the standard when it comes to versatility for the Swoosh, the once basketball silhouette turned sportswear staple is rumored to be retiring the '07 mold we're accustomed to seeing. And from that will be a new mold for the AF1; whether that is something completely new or a remastered iteration with tooling mirroring the 1982 original iteration, we'll see but expect big things from the AF1. You can probably bank on OG colorways, fan favorites and collaborations in the next 12 months. Nike Air Max 1 & 97 Anniversaries Another iconic Nike silhouette will be celebrating a major milestone in 2022. Tinker Hatfield's Air Max 1 will turn 35. Originally releasing 1987, the runner has reached legendary status and was the genesis of an entire line of Nike products that has defined the brand for decades. In 2017 when Nike celebrated the 30th anniversary of the silhouette, we were gifted the re-release of the OG Red and OG Blue colorways, with its original packaging and a couple restocks; additionally the "Anniversary" releases have continued over the five years between anniversaries in various color pallets. Might we be treated to another re-release of the OG duo, might the silhouette be remastered, what collaborations will we see? Talk of an uptick in releases could begin to put the AM1 on par with other silhouettes we see released regularly. Additionally, the Air Max 97 turns 25 and we already know that the 'Silver Bullet' and 'Metallic Gold' color schemes will return as they did in 2017 for the 20th anniversary. But there is still more to uncover on just what will make this anniversary special. But one thing we can bet on is that Air Max Day 2022 in March will be one to remember. Kobe Bryant adidas Retro Releases January will mark two years since the tragic and sudden passing of Kobe Bryant and in the time since his estate led by his wife, Vanessa chose not to renew a contract with Nike. Months have passed without a single. Kobe signature sneaker release, undoubtedly leaving many fans and collectors heartbroken at the resolution. But while the Bryant estate and Nike are not currently aligned; the door has been opened for adidas to bring back Kobe's Three Stripes signatures and endorsed silhouettes; the first being the return of the 'Slam Dunk Contest' Crazy 97 (EQT Elevation) in February for All-Star Weekend. Murmurs of Kobe's adidas signatures such as the KB8 and The Kobe 1 have made the rumor mill, thus bringing fans a feeling of yesteryear that has been two decades in the making and providing solace amongst the saddening circumstances. The LeBron 20 LeBron James will join only Michael Jordan with 20 signature models to his name. Which is an accomplishment that we may only see again once or twice more when you stop to think about it. As the LeBron XIX is currently in its cycle, the emphasis and celebration that will be the LeBron 20 is a punctuation point on a Hall-of-Fame career and sneaker lineage. With the opening of the LeBron James Innovation Center on the Nike World Headquarters campus in Beaverton, the LeBron 20 will undoubtedly come out of the innovative kitchen housed within the building. Additionally, with the LeBron x Nike x Florida A&M University (FAMU) partnership, we could see the unveil of the next signature in Florida. The possibilities are endless but with the tech inserted into the LeBron signature line over the years, the 20 will have to deliver in that department. Fear of God x adidas It's been a little over a year since Jerry Lorenzo and his Fear of God imprint teamed with adidas. And recently Lorenzo was spoted at the arena formerly known as Staples Center in a sample print of an adidas x FOG hoodie; the first-ever spotting of such since the partnership was announced in December 2020. Lorenzo's position includes shaping the creative and business strategy for adidas Basketball and in that mission, Lorenzo brought in friend and former Jordan Brand Senior Global Design Director, Jason Mayden as Fear of God President. As we inch closer to the release, we can expect to begin to see pieces that have been in the works all of 2021 in 2022. What does Salehe Bembury do for an encore? Salehe Bembury had himself quite a 2021, from his project with New Balance to his collaboration with Crocs which saw the beloved clog have its mold altered for the first time in the brand's history. With two separate projects landing on our Top Sneakers of 2021 list, Bembury tends to revolve around various brands, always "Open To Work" as his LinkedIn profile suggests – and arguably no one can match his work ethic and his hustle. So what will he do for an encore? Will it be a Crocs sequel ... or a third collaboration with New Balance, or might a new partner enter the arena? We'll have to wait and see. With all these storylines in play for 2022, it will certainly be a 12 months to remember, as we begin our march through the next calendar year.

It's the eye of the tiger ... It's the thrill of the fight with this upcoming Air Jordan 36. Having minimal fanfare, the latest in the Air Jordan signature lineage has been moving throughout 2021 and as we inch closer to 2022, the Chinese Zodiac becomes more prevalent. The celebration begins on February 1st and somewhere between now and then we should see the AJ36 in a tiger themed color scheme as the new year will be the Year of the Tiger. Equipped with a transitioning color pallet from a hint of yellow and orange moves into a dusk scheme with reds and purples deeply intrenched. Not to be understated is the flowing tiger stripes on the base layer under the upper. Have an official look below and stay with Sole-U for release details. Update: This Air Jordan 36 is expected to launch on April 21st at various Jordan Brand retailers. Air Jordan 36 "Year of the Tiger" Black/Orange-Multicolor DA9053-002 4. 21. 22. $180

Christmas Day, KITH will officially unveil the full second installment of their KITH x Nike Air Force 1 project with a teaser as only Fieg and company knows how ... by revisiting Madison Square Garden. In 2020, Dipset took to midcourt in the "World's Most Famous Arena" and in 2021, fresh off a crazy year is The Lox to drop bars in the mecca. The Air Force 1 returns with its transitioning iridescent Swoosh in New York's beloved Knicks color scheme across a black leather upper with NYC etched into the lateral heel. Accompanying the upper is the translucent outsole with a white midsole between. Watch the short film below and stay with Sole-U for more info as the unveil comes on Christmas.