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Welcome to SNX DLX, your weekly roundup of the best sneakers to hit the internet. It’s one hell of a week for Jordan fans as our top seven this week is absolutely loaded with Air Jordans. Five of the seven spots to be exact! Being able to cop any of these Jordans would make your week, but if you’re looking for the best of the best, any of the Jordan 2s will serve you well. Despite the lack of variety and the small list of notable sneakers, this week is pretty damn strong, largely dominated by Nike with New Balance making a solid entry to close out the list.
If for some reason you get through this ranking and have a hunger for even more Jordans, be sure to catch Uproxx’s new sneaker customization show Fresh Pair, particularly the Jadakiss or TI episodes, which feature fire custom Jordans.
Without further ado, here are this week’s seven best sneaker drops!
Air Jordan 9 Boot NRG Black and Light Gum
Presenting the most militaristic Jordan 9 ever! The AJ-9 Boot NRG features tough leather and suede upper covered in a water-resistant coating with a gusseted tongue, thick heavy tread, and metal Special Field Boot influenced eyelets. It looks less like something fit for the court and more like something fit for the battlefield, which I guess for people like Jordan, was the court!
It’s aggressive, but we’re digging it.
Air Jordan 9 Boot NRG Black and Light Gum is set to drop on October 19th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $225. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.
Air More Uptempo ’96 Thank You, Wilson
Dedicated to the designer who made the Uptempo possible, this iteration of the silhouette is dedicated to and inspired by the shoe’s creator, Wilson Smith III. In keeping with his futuristic design ethos, the Thank You Wilson Air More Uptempo features a space-age-inspired gradient upper with shimmering reflective graphics and a tongue that pays tribute to Smith’s first day at Nike, written in a NASA-esque font.
It might just be the best Air More Uptempo colorway we’ve ever seen.
The Air More Uptempo ’96 Thank You, Wilson is set to drop on October 21st at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $175. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.
Air Jordan 2 Low Shelflife
This year the Air Jordan 2 finally began to get the love the silhouette has always deserved. Designed by Peter Moore, the same person who gave us the legendary Jordan 1, the Jordan 2 brought sneakerheads luxury footwear before that was a thing they knew they wanted.
This week’s Shelflife colorway was made in partnership with South Africa’s biggest streetwear store of the same name and features a canvas upper in white and light bone with orange accents and an insole featuring signatures from the Shelflife community. This is Jordan Brand’s first collaboration with an Africa-based partner, here is to hoping the Air Jordan 2 continues going global!
The Air Jordan 2 Low Shelflife is set to drop on October 21st at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $200. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT.
Air Jordan 2 Low Two 18
See what we mean? 2022 is the year of Jordan 2s. Dropping alongside the Shelflife collaboration, the Air Jordan 2 Two 18 is another collaborative Jordan drop, this time with Detroit-based sneaker boutique Two 18. Featuring a textured suede upper with leather accents, the Two 18 sports tortoiseshell eyelets, a gradient outsole that gets icy at the tip, and an insole map of Detroit’s metro area.
The Air Jordan 2 Low Two 18 is set to drop on October 21st at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $200. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.
Nike Women’s Air Jordan 2 Low Titan
No, your eyes don’t deceive you, this is yet another Jordan 2. But we saved the best for last. Made in collaboration with Filipino basketball retailer, TITAN, this women’s sized AJ-2 sports a dope white, green, and orange colorway over a premium suede upper with corduroy accents, and a speckled midsole. We only wish this one dropped in a full-size run!
The Women’s Air Jordan 2 Low Titan is set to drop on October 21st at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $200. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.
Air Jordan 7 Vachetta Tan
At this point, we might as well rename this article series “Jordan Watch,” because here we are with yet another Jordan. The Vachetta Tan isn’t just any random colorway of the week, this mix of taxi and dark concord over a tan leather upper is actually a re-release of a coveted colorway from ’92. This fan favorite features a leather upper with embossed details and embroidered accents on the tongue.
It might be an old design but it looks fresh as ever 30 years later. That’s the power of Jordan Brand.
The Nike Air Jordan 7 Vachetta Tan is set to drop on October 22nd at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $210. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT and Flight Club.
Joe Freshgoods x New Balance MADE in USA 993 Blue With Vintage Rose
Dropping in a cool blue colorway, Joe Freshgoods latest New Balance collaboration is a must-cop. Featuring a design that combines the best of the 991 and 992 silhouette, the 993 features a mixed premium suede and mesh upper with JFG branded foxing, reflective details on the N logo, and an ABZORB midsole. As is always the case with New Balance’s big collaborations, this 993 comes out of NB’s MADE in USA imprint, meaning the quality and comfort is on point.
These are simply some of the most comfortable sneakers you can ever hope to wear.
The Joe Freshgoods x New Balance MADE in USA 993 Blue with Vintage Rose is set to drop on October 21st at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $219.99. Pick up a pair via the New Balance webstore.
