Welcome to SNX DLX, your weekly roundup of the best sneakers to hit the internet. This week is an exciting one for those with nostalgic tastes. We’re being treated to lots of updates of old silhouettes and designs, whether we’re talking about the discontinued Nike LD-1000 (first released in the late ‘70s, and hidden away in the vaults since then), the return of the Silver Surfer Dunk, a new colorway for Tinker Hatfield’s forgotten Air 180, the return of a classic Kobe Protro 8 colorway, or Brain Dead’s new take on one of Adidas oldest silhouettes.
Unfortunately, if your tastes lean more toward the futuristic, this week is going to leave a lot to be desired. But the month is just getting started and according to the various release calendars of our favorite brands, this month is bringing an avalanche of must-cop sneaker drops. For now, let’s dive into this week’s finest.
Nike LD-1000 Game Royal and Opti Yellow
Price: $100
A blast from the past, the LD-1000 was first introduced in the late ‘70s and then almost immediately recalled because its flared heel clashed with the needs of runners. Despite the recall and the lack of functionality, the LD-1000 still looks pretty dope so we’re glad Nike has reached into the vaults and brought the silhouette back.
The sneaker features a mixed real and synthetic leather upper with textile accents and a thick tread waffle sole, and a colorway that combines royal blue, bright yellow, white, and black. It’s a dope sneaker, just don’t run in it!
The Nike LD-1000 Game Royal and Opti Yellow is out now for a retail price of $100. Pick up a pair at Nike or aftermarket sites like GOAT and Flight Club.
Nike Dunk Low Silver Blue (“Silver Surfer”)
Price: $135
A classic Dunk colorway returns for a 20th anniversary! If you’re a hardcore Dunk fan you know this legendary colorway as the “Silver Surfer,” but since that shares a name with a superhero, Nike can’t officially call it that. That won’t stop us from calling it by its rightful name though!
The sneaker features a leather upper with textile accents and a mix of Flat Silver, Neutral Grey, Aegean Storm, and Gym Red colors. It’s like a greatest hits collection of some of Nike’s best color tones. This sneaker is a must-pick-up for Dunk fans so expect a challenge when it comes to copping this pair.
The Nike Dunk Low Silver Blue is out now for a retail price of $135. Pick up a pair at Nike.
Nike Air 180 Black and Dusty Cactus
Price: $150
Nike sure is feeling nostalgic this week. Along with the return of the LD-1000 and Silver Surfer Dunk, the brand is also bringing back one of Tinker Hatfield’s most underappreciated silhouettes — the Air 180. First released in 1991, this running sneaker was revolutionary at the time thanks to its 180-degree Nike Air-equipped heel, which provided runners with more support, bounce, and energy return as they hit the pavement.
But above all else, it just looked f*cking cool, and now the sneaker looks better than ever with this Black and Dusty Cactus colorway. It might not have the legendary status of some of Hatfield’s more well-known designs, but maybe it should!
The Nike Air 180 Black and Dusty Cactus is out now for a retail price of $150. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.
Adidas D.O.N. Issue #6 Spida Aurora Black
Price: $120
Donovan Mitchell’s signature Adidas sneaker is getting a new colorway this week — a spacey Aurora Black with Solar Red and Lucid Blue accents. The sneaker features a lightweight textile upper with a mesh insert, internal bootie construction, and Adidas’ patent Lightstrike cushioning. Rounding out the design are reflective details throughout the upper.
The sneaker, with its lightweight construction, was designed for high-speed court play, so if you’re looking for a new performance-focused basketball shoe, look no further! You’ll just have to decide if you’re a big enough Spida fan to rock ‘em.
The Adidas D.O.N. Issue # 6 Spida is out now for a retail price of $120. Pick up a pair at Adidas or aftermarket sites like GOAT and Flight Club.
Supreme x Nike Clogposite
Price: $138
Nike and Supreme are linking up this week for a new Clogposite and we’re more excited than we ever thought we’d be about these two brands dropping a clog. The Clogposite features a mixed rubber, neoprene, and mesh upper with Supreme branding at the heel, and drops in three sporty colorways.
There is something about this design that resembles a racecar to me, and that’s something that I don’t think you can say about any other clog out there on the market. Somehow Supreme and Nike were able to team up to produce something I’d describe as “sleek.” Your move Crocs!
The Supreme x Nike Clogposite is out now for a retail price of $138. Pick up a pair at the Supreme webstore.
Samba OG Dark Brown/Cream White/Gum
Price: $180
The Samba is having a moment right now which means Adidas is always finding new ways to highlight this sneaker. This week they are giving the classic design a tweed makeover, giving the sneaker a sort of college-professor vibe.
This Samba features a Harris tweed upper accented with nubuck and leather overlays, with a leather lining, and a classic gum sole. The colorway is dressed in shades of brown with a cream-colored heel tab and three stripes adding a nice bit of contrast. Despite its stuffy professor vibes, this sneaker looks pretty dope.
The Samba OG Dark Brown/ Cream White/ Gum is out now for a retail price of $150. Pick up a pair at Adidas.
Nike Kobe 8 Protro Lakers Away
Price: $190
A classic Kobe colorway returns! Kobe fans have been spoiled with new Protro colorways this year, but those who love the classics will be happy to know that Nike is finally re-releasing some of the most coveted colorways. Our favorite this week is the Kobe 8 Protro Black and Court Purple aka the “Lakers Away.”
The sneaker features a black mesh upper with an embroidered golden swoosh, and purple heel details riding over a React foam midsole. That midsole is a swap of the original, which featured the older Lunarlon foam. That’s a noticeable improvement in terms of comfort, bounce and energy return so we won’t be too hard on Nike for making some changes to the OG.
The Nike Kobe 8 Protro Lakers Away is out now for a retail price of $190. Pick up a pair at Nike or aftermarket sites like GOAT and Flight Club.
Brain Dead x Adidas Stan Smith
Price: $150
Adidas and one of our favorite Los Angeles-based streetwear brands, Braid Dead, have teamed up for a revamp of the Stan Smith. The sneaker sports the classic leather upper and liner with a few Brain Dead alterations, like exposed stitching, frayed laces, and the Brain Dead logo punch holes in place of the three stripes.
The sneaker drops in three bold colorways including Shadow Green, Bliss, and Vapour Pink. Our pick for the best colorway from the lineup is undoubtedly the Vapour Pink but you’d be lucky to cop any one of these.
The Brain Dead x Adidas Stan Smith is set to drop on September 7th at 7:00 AM PDT. Pick up a pair at Adidas.
Disclaimer: While all of the products recommended here were chosen independently by our editorial staff, Uproxx may receive payment to direct readers to certain retail vendors who are offering these products for purchase.