The New Balance 1906L in black leather delivers a matte look similar to its suede predecessor, but without the fuzz. Smooth leather panels are used throughout the layered upper, with the exception of the TPU heel stabilizer. And if you’re looking for a departure from black, the only places you’ll find it are on the small silver branding hits.

Ever since it debuted in early 2024 at Paris Fashion week through a Junya Watanabe collaboration, the 1906L has proven polarizing. Some see the hybrid sneaker-loafer as an abomination while others rejoice in the daring collision. But for however loud the former crowd may be, it hasn’t stopped the latter from causing sellouts each time a new 1906L has dropped.

The formula for the 1906L is relatively simple. The sole unit from the hit 1906R, which is itself borrowed from the 860v2, is left untouched for all the comfort you’d expect from a sneaker. Laces and tongue are then removed from the upper, and in its place comes the famous slotted panel where some might put a penny. Some of the lines have also been altered, and some of the variants have moved past the initial mesh and synthetic leather build that served as a more direct connection to the original sneaker.

A release date has yet to come for the 1906L in black leather, but you can expect it to drop soon based on the usual cycle of leaks and releases. Pricing is set at $160.

About the Author:

Ian Servantes is a Senior News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.

The Anta Kai 2 “Artist on the Court” will launch at the end of February with a purple colorway similar to that used for the introduction of the Kai 1 a year ago. And just like the Kai 1’s two offshoots, the lighter Kai 1 Speed and more affordable Kai 1 Team, a strap no longer runs atop the performance basketball shoe.

Other changes appear to be more aesthetic rather than functional, as no significant developments in technology have been announced for the Kai 2. A stepped and pattern design brings a new dimension to the midsole, and the upper balances wavy lines inspired by the brushstrokes of Fauvist art for its layered toe tip with raised zig zags adorning its heel. Embroidered decorations appear throughout, and it’s impossible to miss the fuzzy laces that constitute half of a double-lace system. Gold-tone metal lace tips add to the flourishes

“The KAI 2 is a culmination of everything I’ve envisioned — seamlessly merging cutting-edge innovation with futurism to bring my creative evolution to life,” Irving said in a press release. “From the laces to the look and feel, every detail reflects the most dynamic and expressive shoe I’ve ever worn. No one’s shoes look like this. It’s about bringing the art of footwear to life in a way that’s never been done before.”

In just a year, Irving’s line for Anta has not only birthed a signature shoe with two spinoffs, but also a lifestyle sneaker inspired by ’00s skate shoes. That makes the Anta Kai 2 the fifth model overall for what’s quickly become a prolific partnership.

The Anta Kai 2 “Artist on the Court” is available through a drawing open now through February 28 on Anta’s website. Select third-party retailers will also drop the sneaker on the same date as the drawing’s conclusion, and pricing for the shoe is set at $140.

About the Author:

Ian Servantes is a Senior News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.

New York City sneakerheads have been invited by Nike to make their best trade offer for the Air Foamposite One “Galaxy.” An official entry form (found here) allows those interested to sign up for the opportunity to make a trade. All they have to do is submit their name, email, shoe size and what they have to offer to trade. Those chosen will then be invited Thursday, February 20, to a secret location in order to make the swap.

The rules for what can be traded are simple: nothing illegal, no drugs, no guns, no animals, no food and no vehicles. With those stipulations, Nike encourages the wildest offers — although whether that means wild in terms of monetary value or intrigue remains nebulous.

Nike isn’t the only party paying tribute to the story of the man who tried to trade his purple 1996 Chevy Cavalier for a pair of “Galaxy” Foams. PJ Tucker, the undisputed king of sneakers in the NBA, wrapped a ’96 Chevy Corvette in a galaxy print for a giveaway during NBA All-Star Weekend.

If you want to engage in a more traditional exchange of money for sneakers, the Nike Air Foamposite One “Galaxy” will release Friday, February 21, through the Snkrs app and select third-party retailers. Pricing is set at $230.

About the Author:

Ian Servantes is a Senior News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.

Kith and On have formally announced their collaboration on the Cloudzone, a brand-new model from the Swiss brand with technical specs that have yet to be divulged.

Available in all-black or all-white colorways, Kith’s take on the silhouette features a new On logo incorporating elements of the Queens Unisphere in a similar fashion to the two parties’ first partnership in 2022. The remixed mark appears on the shoe’s lateral side, while its medial hosts a Kith & Kin logo. Additional branding can then be found on the tongue, heel and toe cap.

The Kith x On Cloudzone will release through a drawing opening Thursday, February 20, on Kith’s app. The white version will then go on sale Friday, February 21, in Kith’s global websites and stores. The black one, however, will be exclusive to U.S. channels.

What We Originally Reported on February 18, 2024

Kith‘s next collaboration with On appears to be doing a lot of heavy lifting.

Ronnie Fieg teased Kith’s take on a mysterious On sneaker Monday, and a day later the On Cloudzone was revealed by name as part of another teaser for a new line called KTech (or Kith Technology). Little else has been revealed about the sneaker, but branding for On’s Speedboard plate can be seen on the all-black colorway previewed by Fieg, which indicates that the Cloudzone should be on the higher end of running performance. Kith’s spring 2025 lookbook, released earlier this month, also showed the Cloudzone in an all-white makeup.

Kith’s broader tease for KTech indicates the line will include in-house designs for a hat and T-shirt, as well as a collaboration with Jordan Brand on shorts. Text in the promotional image calls out performance technology including “tech finish” nylon, engineered mesh, “active honeycomb,” “four-way tricot,” laser perforations and more.

On and Kith have collaborated just once previously, as they released a special editions of Roger Federer’s Roger Clubhouse Mid and the Roger Pro to form the RF2 set in 2022. The two sneakers could only be bought together for $500.

The Kith x On Cloudzone appears set to release Friday, February 21, based on the KTech campaign image. More information should come as the week continues, and Footwear News will keep you abreast of any updates.

About the Author:

Ian Servantes is a Senior News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.

Available now is the collaborative XT-Whisper, which was released alongside the Kith Women Spring 2025 collection. Kith created two colorways of the unisex shoe with Salomon: one executed in Delicioso and Dark Citron hues, and the other dressed in Vanilla and Transparent Yellow.

To further stamp the collaboration, both colorways feature Kit branding on the heels, tongues and sockliners, and they come packaged in a co-branded box.

The XT-Whisper is built with mesh uppers with synthetic leather overlays, as well as the brand’s Sensifit application, which was added for both hold and comfort. It also features Salomon’s Quicklace system, Contagrip rubber outsoles and TPU toecap and heel chassis.

The two Kith for Salomon XT-Whisper colorways can be shopped at all Kith shops, as well as via Kith.com, CA.Kith.com, EU.Kith.com and the Kith App. The shoes are a unisex product offered in men’s sizing and retail for $150.

The Salomon XT-Whisper is a trail runner from 2000, specifically introduced as a women’s version of the XT-Hawk. The brand revived the silhouette in December 2024 and now sits in its Sportstyle category.

About the Author

Peter Verry is the Senior News and Features Editor for Athletic and Outdoor at Footwear News. He oversees coverage of the two fast-paced and ultracompetitive markets, which includes conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders and writing stories on sneakers and outdoor shoes. He is a lifelong sneaker addict (and shares his newest purchases via @peterverry on Instagram) and spends most of his free time on a trail. He holds an M.A. in journalism from Hofstra University and can be reached at peter.verry@footwearnews.com.

The Nike Air Max 1 Low Poly “Tomb Raider” has been revealed soon after another colorway paying homage to “Donkey Kong” leaked. While that edition plays with textures to invoke its famous ape, the “Tomb Raider” edition is more straightforward in its use of suede and mesh. Both the white mesh base and grey suede overlays play with the Low Poly style to create a false sense of dimensionality. The green suede overlays, including the Swoosh, are then cut with harder edges than normal to continue the digital theme.

Bryce Wong, a designer for the Nike .Swoosh line response for the remixed Air Max 1, revealed the second video game-inspired sneaker on his Instagram — perhaps in a move to get ahead of the leaks that spoiled the surprise on the “Donkey Kong” version. And while the “Tomb Raider” colorway probably won’t be an official collaboration, Wong made sure to include a healthy dose of imagery featuring Lara Croft in the background of his shots to make the source material quite clear.

The Air Max 1 is also making waves this week with the first of Supreme’s four reported colorways being revealed through the streetwear label’s spring 2025 lookbook.

A release date hasn’t yet been announced for the Nike Air Max 1 Low Poly “Tomb Raider,” but with Air Max Day coming in March it could be right around the corner. Pricing is likely to be set at $150.

About the Author:

Ian Servantes is a Senior News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.

The Supreme x Nike Air Max 1 has been shown for the first time in Supreme’s spring 2025 lookbook. Leakers have suggested the black and white colorway will be one of four total to release at some point in the months ahead.

No images have been shown for the three other variants, but leaked color codes suggest a pair in white, as well as two more making separate use of “Varsity Purple” and “Speed Yellow.” Such an assortment would follow the pattern of past capsules, as Supreme typically does a pair each dominated in black and white and then goes less predictable for however many colorways may remain.

Supreme’s two lookbook images don’t reveal much about the collaboration, but what is apparent is that the silver-tone Supreme lace dubrae from its Air Force 1s will carry over to the Air Max 1. Supreme has also opted for the small secondary Swoosh on the toe tip that pops up on more modern variants.

With four colorways reportedly in the pipeline, it’s more likely that Supreme’s Air Max 1 will be a one-time affair rather than a perennial item like the Air Force 1 Low.

The forthcoming season is also expected to bring a new take from Supreme on the SB Dunk Low in May featuring as many as five colorways.

The Supreme x Nike Air Max 1s don’t yet have a release date but will arrive at some point during Supreme’s series of weekly drops for the spring 2025 season. Expect the shoes to drop through Supreme’s website and physical stores for a price of $170 each. A Snkrs release could also go down but is not guaranteed.

About the Author:

Ian Servantes is a Senior News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.

The Tom Sachs x Nike Mars Yard 3.0 will release in September, and Sachs’ Instagram caption saying, “Action will be required” suggests some sort of activity will be required to purchase the sneaker similar to the New York City obstacle course from 2017. In addition to revealing the release month, the artist also broke down the shoe’s new features to a high degree of detail.

A carbon fiber plate within the React midsole is the most technical of all the Mars Yard 3.0’s elements. Rather than appearing as its own panel, the Swoosh has been screen-printed directly onto the open mesh polyester. A new black TPU toecap comes in at 90 on the durometer scale of 0 to 100, as does the translucent TPU heel clip. In a men’s size 9, each shoe will weigh just 465 grams, which is roughly twice the weight of most supershoes and lighter than a lot of basketball shoes you’ll come across.

The Mars Yard 2.0 was one of the most significant sneakers released in the 2010s, and resale prices that have gone up as high as $10,000 also make it one of the most valuable. In 2021, both the promotional cycle and the development cycle for the successor began simultaneously with Sachs inviting select members of the public to participate in a wear test for what was dubbed the Mars Yard 2.5.

2022 then brought Sachs’ General Purpose Shoe, which was intended to be both “boring” and easily accessible — to the point of going on sale at Kohl’s — and got three total colorways by 2023. Then, of course, came the bombshell report on Sachs’ New York City studio and the abuse/harassment his employees were allegedly subjected to.

Sachs eventually apologized while denying some of the allegations. Nike said at the time, “We are not working with Tom’s studio at this time and have no release dates planned,” — and that then changed with the announced return to their partnership last September.

About the Author:

Ian Servantes is a Senior News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.

“Karhu has always been a brand defined by innovation, and our resale partnership with Archive underscores our commitment to shaping the future of sustainable footwear,” said Huub Valkenburg, CEO of Karhu Holding. “Karhu Renewed helps us to extend the lifecycle of our products, reinforcing our belief that durability goes hand in hand with sustainability. This initiative not only enhances customer engagement but also strengthens our ability to meet sustainability goals and drive growth in key markets.”

Archive, which has worked with brands including New Balance and Dr. Martens, is a technology platform that enables profitable circular business for global brands. The company’s custom Warehouse Management System (WMS) flow allows Karhu to track, process and resell returned products in an efficient manner, making for a fresh stream of revenue in addition to optimizing returns management.

Instead of sitting in backrooms, returned products will be sent from the retailer to Tersus Solutions, where the Archive WMS will be implemented in the warehouse. A liquid CO2-based waterless cleaning technology, described as the world’s most advanced, will be utilized in addition to “a full suite of textile reclamation and resale logistics services,” according to the brand.

Emily Gittins, co-founder and CEO of Archive, told FN, “Karhu’s thoughtful approach to resale underscores its commitment to building a more sustainable future. Collaborating with Huub and his powerhouse team to create this program has been both insightful and rewarding. It’s clear that Karhu customers are eager to access products at a range of price points, and we’re excited for them to engage with this opportunity to shop in a way that aligns with their values and supports the circular economy. I can’t wait to see what Karhu does next.”

Karhu, crafting sneakers worn by the likes of Theo James, was founded in Finland in 1916; the brand sold the famous three stripe design to Adidas, which is now synonymous with the German brand. More than 100 years after its founding, Fleet Feet unveiled in its inaugural Fleet Feet Running Report that Karhu was one of its three fastest-growing shoe brands, alongside Asics and New Balance.

The JJJJound x Adidas Superstar collaboration includes two colorways of the iconic sneaker, each on a slightly different version of the 1970 sneaker. The white style, which is the pair that was available from Ssense, uses the Adidas Superstar 82 and is joined by an unreleased black pair that uses the Adidas Superstar II (aka Superstar 90).

According to a press release, the different versions were chosen to represent “the evolution of the icon throughout the ’90s and the ’00s.” 

While the changes between the two Superstar forms are nuanced, the Superstar II featured an updated shape with additional padding. From a glance, the two JJJJound x Superstar offerings appear similar, but the black style features ever so slightly puffier proportions. 

Similar to the JJJJound x Adidas Samba released in March 2024, both Superstar shoes were handcrafted in Adidas’ Scheinfeld, Germany factory, giving them a decidedly luxe feel compared to a standard inline Superstar. The brand says the sneakers were “informed by shared creative values and championing Adidas’ Scheinfeld factory artisans.”

Like most of JJJJound’s footwear output, the Adidas Superstar forgoes flair, instead leaning into a premium, minimal aesthetic which strips branding from the heel and tongue and moves it inward, leaving only gold foil “JJJJound” lettering on the lateral side. Even the shoe’s signature shell toe is coated in leather while retaining the original texture found on the usually rubber portion.

Ahead of the launch, JJJJound and Adidas Originals shared a video featuring Sandra Trapp, senior manager of history management at Adidas, discussing the collaboration. 

Retailing at $250 each, sign-ups for both JJJJound x Adidas Superstar sneakers are open now on Adidas’ Confirmed app. The launch will take place on Feb. 20 from Confirmed, jjjjound.com, and select Adidas Original retailers.