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Welcome to Sole Facts where we add context to the biggest sneaker drops of the week! Every week, dozens of shoes drop with next to no notion of why they actually matter. Setting aside clout, cash, or cooking, we’re here to deliver important cultural and historical information on the most anticipated releases each Monday exclusively for SoleSavy members.
Whether it’s designer details, OG origin, or collaborator cache, it’s important to know what’s what in the constant chase of scooping sneakers. From Kobe’s cinematic classic seeing its first remastered release to an Air Jordan 1 with mysteriously rare roots get the important intel on all the drops set to begin the holiday shopping season.
11/24
Nike Kobe V “Bruce Lee” & Nike Kobe V “Bruce Lee Alternate”
- The original Nike Kobe V “Bruce Lee” launched in 2010 and was worn on court by Kobe Bryant himself. The yellow upper and blood-red accents paid homage to the martial artist while design details and promotional posters for the shoe showed love to Lee’s Enter the Dragon and Game of Death classics.
- At the time of its launch, the low cut Eric Avar design dropped when Kobe was coming off his fourth ring and on his way to his fifth. The buzz was big for a basketball shoe with no nods to retro but with potential for casual crossover, in many ways paving the storytelling soon seen on “South Beach” LeBrons and “Nerf” KDs.
- Since first launching in 2010, the “Bruce Lee” theme has carried over to many Kobes and even select Kyrie models. This Protro pair is the first time the “Bruce Lee” lineage returned to that of the Kobe V, coming in the OG yellow and releasing for the first time in an alternate white take.
11/25
PEACEMINUSONE x Nike Air Force 1 “Para-Noise 2.0”
- The “Para-Noise” PEACEMINUSONE x Nike Air Force 1 Low launch is the latest in a string of AF1’s tied to South Korean rapper G-Dragon. The King of K-Pop has redressed the 1982 classic in collaborative and friends and family fashion before with this prized pair set to launch in limited fashion.
- These collaborative kicks carry the same ethos as the PEACEMINUSONE clothing line that first started as an art exhibition back in 2015. G-Dragon’s exploration in making art more accessible carried over to clothing with the line launching officially in 2016 following collaborations with Giuseppe Zannoti and 8 Seconds.
- Like his prior famous Forces, these are denoted by a wear-away aesthetic that reveals a freestyle G-Dragon design. Fat laces add to the hip hop ethos while flower detailing plays to the hope for utopia.
Air Jordan 6 “Single’s Day”
- The Air Jordan 6 first released in 1991 and is tied to Tinker Hatfield design, “Infrared” editions, and MJ’s first championship trophy.
- This “Single’s Day” drop is released solely in Women’s sizing, celebrating the unofficial holiday hailing from China. Taking place on 11/11 out East, the festivity also known as Bachelor’s Day is essentially a holiday for those without significant other to shop and treat themselves.
- In previous years, Jordan Brand has dropped other Single’s Day retro releases to include two takes on the Air Jordan 4, a tropical Air Jordan 5 and two Air Jordan 13s.
11/26 & 11/27
adidas Yeezy Boost 380 “Onyx Reflective” & “Onyx”
- The adidas Yeezy Boost 380 saga continues with the “Reflective Onyx” on November 26th and the “Onyx” on November 27th.
- When first spotted on Kanye, the adidas Yeezy Boost 380 was thought by many to be the V3 iteration of the famous adidas Yeezy Boost 350 due to its Primeknit patterned upper and thick Boost sole. The 380’s stance and ankle collar provided the greatest differentiator on this model that’s all its own.
- The “Reflective Onyx” is only available in the US and Europe while the “Non-reflective Onyx” is available in the US, Asia and Europe
11/28
Air Jordan 4 “Fire Red”
- The Air Jordan 4 “Fire Red” was released in 1989 and was worn on court by Michael Jordan to begin the 1989-90 NBA Season. It was the first Air Jordan MJ wore under Phil Jackson as a head coach and the last Air Jordan released in the ‘80s.
- As somewhat of a sequence, MJ would start ‘89, ‘90, and ‘91 seasons in “Fire Red” installments of the previous year’s game shoe before breaking out his new model at All-Star Weekend.
- Fans have received many retro releases based on the OG Air Jordan 4 “Fire Red” by way of a “Laser” launch in 2005, the “Mars Blackmon” rendition in 2006, countless Fusions in the late 2000s, and a Jumpman branded pair in 2012. The 2020 “Fire Red” 4 is the first to feature Nike Air branding and OG packaging since the ‘89 OG.
11/30
Air Jordan 1 High “Black/Metallic Gold”
- The Air Jordan 1 in a Black/Gold palette is one of great folklore. Allegedly first surfacing in 1985, two iterations were said to exist: a patent leather Friends & Family-run limited to 20 pairs made for Michael and an oiled leather mid makeup said to be sampled in Italy when working on the Air Jordan 2.
- In 2003, the public got its closest comp to that point by way of the patent leather mid-top, in some sense a combination of both rarities. A decade later in 2013, a patent high top with a white midsole was even closer to that of F&F OG, changing by way of a glittery gum sole.
- The 2020 take is more or less an update to the 2003 in composition, using similar color blocking despite taking up the cut to a high and blessing the ankle with a gold underlay.
adidas Yeezy 500 “Utility Black”
- The “Utility Black” adidas Yeezy 500 originally launched in July 2018 and is releasing for the second time ever this fall.
- Rather than rely on Boost, the Yeezy 500 features adiPrene+ cushioning and lifts the Feet You Wear sole seen on Kobe Bryant’s 1999 signature shoe, the adidas KB8 III.
- At its time of launch, the adidas Yeezy 500 was the first Yeezy sneaker (meaning excluding slides and boots) since the adidas merger to not use the brand’s Boost technology. It was a risk at the time, but boded well thanks to the Yeezy line’s buzz and on the scene endorsement from the Kardashian camp.