Be it adidas’ sale of Reebok to Authentic Brands Group, Size?’s AW2021 collaboration calendar, or Chitose Abe’s trifecta of three-way collaborative LDWaffle sneakers, we’ve had a host of rumours hit us head on this past week. As well as this, there’s a host of releases from Nike, Vans and Jordan Brand that should be front and center in your headspace if you want to buy. Read on and get in the know.
THIS WEEK’S NEWS: 9/8/2021 – 16/8/2021
ADIDAS SELLS REEBOK FOR $2.5 BILLION USD
After months of rumours and negotiations, adidas’ parent company has officially sold Reebok to ABG – the same people that own Forever 21, among a mix of other brands – for a whopping $2.5B USD. The brand was purchased by adidas for $3.8B USD 15 years ago, and due to continuous struggle financially and in terms of consumer interest, has been sold at a massive loss. “ABG is thrilled to announce that we have signed a definitive agreement to purchase @reebok, the iconic active and footwear brand, from @adidas, marking our largest acquisition to date” the new owners said.
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SIZE? PREVIEWS FW2021 COLLABORATIONS
Size?’s release calendar is historically laden with exclusives and collaborations, and this week the UK retail powerhouse opened doors in London to show off around 30 pairs of shoes releasing in the next couple of months. As expected, the majority of the offering is adidas, but the biggest pair on show was without a doubt a collaborative Nike Dunk, closely followed by a contrast-stitched Reebok Beatnik.
SACAI – EXTRA HOT WAFFLES
Chitose Abe’s sacai LDWaffle was the shoe of the year – without any shadow of a doubt – in 2019, and has since been released in a number of iterations with varying success. sacai took to Instagram this morning to show off seven new pairs in a collision of worlds: two colorways in collaboration with fragment design, two with CLOT, and three with Undercover. The pairs come in a mix of tonal, neutral colorways from fragment to more eclectic colors on the CLOT pairs – with one even coming as an ode to the hallowed Air Max 1 “Kiss Of Death”.
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THIS WEEK’S RELEASES: 16/8/2021 – 23/8/2021
This week’s releases are as expected, dominated by the Swoosh, with the highlight being Aleali May’s Air Jordan 14 collaboration releasing Thursday, or a Dunk High I previously called “the best Dunk of the year” by way of the “Light Chocolate” iteration which releases tomorrow. adidas fire back with a blacked-out take on the Forum Low in collaboration with Bad Bunny – which arrived alongside some killer marketing videos – while skate legends at Vans are set to release a Kids Of Immigrants remix of the Old Skool. The pair comes with an “anything is possible” mantra repeating round the midsole, as well as an eclectic mix of materials throughout.
My favourite release of the week is the UNDFTD “Dunk Meets AF1” pack, which sees the LA boutique release a beautiful take of two Nike classics. The Air Force 1 is dressed up in an outfit similar to the Silver Surfer Dunk Low from way back when, and the Dunk comes in a purple and blue snake print. The former is a pair for year-round wear, but that Dunk is perfect for summer fits. Yes, they released a week ago in limited numbers, but I’m counting this week as the time us mere mortals can actually get a pair without stomaching the resale prices.
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See also: OFF-WHITE X NIKE DUNK LOW – LOT 32
