Category: News

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Welcome to SNX DLX your weekly roundup of the best sneakers to hit the internet. A new era of Travis Scott Nike collaborations is upon us, as this week brings the new Cactus Corporation capsule collection — a four sneaker drop with an accompanying apparel collection, which includes the highly anticipated Cactus Jack take on the Air Max 1 and Air Trainer 1.

This is the first Travis Scott Nike collaboration this year and for all that waiting we’re getting a pretty sizable drop, for the first time in Cactus Jack x Nike history, copping a pair from this collection doesn’t feel like an impossible task. That’s great news, but while we like all of the drops in this collection, nothing feels as essential as last year’s Fragment Design Travis Scott Jordan 1, or even this year’s Reverse Mocha Jordan 1, which is set to drop in July. We’re not complaining, just keeping it real.

To complete the week we’ve also got the return of the Salehe Bembury Pollex Clog, the latest Jordans worth copping, and the new sh*t from New Balance. At 11 sneakers, it’s the biggest list we’ve ever featured on SNX. Let’s jump in!

Salehe Bembury Pollex Clog

Salehe Bembury’s super popular Pollex Clogs are back, dropping in three new colorways this week that include urchin (lavender), stratus (white), and crocodile (green), so if you want to pick up a pair of Crocs that even the snobbiest sneakerheads will have to give you props for, these are those Crocs!

The Pollex clog features a utilitarian inspired design with an adjustable (and removable) strap, enhanced traction, and strategically placed holes that allow for increased breathability in high heat areas of the foot, all atop that Classic Clog footbed that has made this previously hated brand so beloved in modern streetwear.

If you already hate Crocs, the Pollex Clog won’t change your mind, but for fans of comfort-focused footwear, it rarely gets more comfortable and more stylish than this. The Pollex Clog tops Yeezy’s Foam RNNR, and we’re sure it kills Ye to know that.

The Salehe Bembury Pollex Clog is out now for a retail price of $85. Pick up a pair from your favorite aftermarket site.

Jordan 1 Element Light Curry and Sail

Gore-Tex in spring? Whatever, we’ll take it. The Jordan 1 Element features a Gore-Tex-equipped water-proof and durable upper with nubuck leather overlays and a reflective wraparound Swoosh. The Light Curry and Sail colorway combines earthy orange tones on the overlays over an off-white base with red tongue branding.

The Jordan 1 Element Light Curry and Sail is set to drop on May 24th for a retail price of $200. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Air Jordan 1 Heritage

This is a no-brainer cop. It’s not a BRED or classic Chicago colorway, but the Heritage utilizes the same color palette and presents a Jordan 1 that looks classic while still looking slightly different than what we’re used to.

The sneaker features a white clean white midsole under a matching leather base with a university red toe box and paneling and black tumbled leather accents on the heel. Rounding out the design is a red outsole and black laces.

The Air Jordan 1 Heritage is set to drop on May 25th for a retail price of $170. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT and Flight Club.

Nike Air Jordan 2 x UNION Grey Fog

Made in celebration of the Jordan 2’s 35th Anniversary (RIP to the great Peter Moore, who designed the 2, as well as the 1) and dropped earlier this year, the UNION Nike Air Jordan 2 Grey Fog is getting an official Nike SNKRS release. This year’s earlier drop of the sneaker was a limited run and catered to sneakerheads in the Los Angeles area, but now sneakerheads nationwide can cop a pair so long as you get lucky on SNKRS.

Featuring a premium upper made from canvas and suede, the Grey Fog features a perforated suede mid-panel in place of the 2’s usual lizard-inspired construction, offering a reimagined design dressed in a more eye-catching color palette than your typical AJ2.

UNION is showing brands that it’s cool to f*ck with the Jordan 2, so we’re hoping that means that other big labels take on the challenge to help prop up this previously underrated entry in the Jordan lineage.

The Nike Air Jordan 2 Union Grey Fog is set to drop on May 26th for a retail price of $225. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Nike Air Trainer 1 CACT.US Corp Archaeo Brown and Rust Pink

It’s been almost a full year since the last Travis Scott Nike collaboration but to make up for all those quiet months Nike is going big — dropping the largest Travis Scott Swoosh collection to date. The CACT.US Corp collection is meant to mark the “next phase” in the partnership between the two big names.

The CACT.US Corp collection consists of two different silhouettes in two different colorways, and first up on our roundup is this Archaeo Brown and Rust Pink Air Trainer 1. Featuring a small stash pocket at the heel with a removable shroud, this design combines the Air Trainer 1’s shape and Scott’s utilitarian aesthetic, resulting in the only Air Trainer 1 we’d ever call ‘post-apocalyptic.’

The Archaeo Brown and Rust Pink is set to drop on May 27th for a retail price of $160. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Air Max 1 x CACT.US CORP CACT.US Gold

If the CACT.US Corp Air Trainer 1 is looking a bit too Mad Max for you, this take on the Air Max 1 tones things down a bit. Featuring a faded gold all-over colorway, this Air Trainer 1 features a drawstring lacing system, nubuck and mesh overlays, and a rubberized Cactus Jack tongue logo. The sneaker also sports a backward swoosh on the right sneaker.

It still exudes a utilitarian vibe, but it looks more fit for the trail than an apocalyptic wasteland like the Air Trainer.

The Air Max 1 x CACT.US Corp CACT.US Gold is set to drop on May 27th for a retail price of $150. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like Flight Club.

Air Max 1 x CACT.US Corp CACT.US Brown

The Air Max 1 CACT.US Brown features the same design as the previous entry, but we’re liking the way the accents pop more on this sneaker. The different design elements are just a bit easier to appreciate here, the embroidered straps pop more in this checkerboard brown, sail, and red colorway and overall we think it’s a more eye-catching design.

Definitely try to cop this one first.

The Air Max 1 x CACT.US Corp CACT.US Brown is set to drop on May 27th for a retail price of $150. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Nike Air Trainer 1 x CACT.US Corp Grey Haze and Dusty Sage

It’s amazing just how drastically different these alternate colorways look! The Grey Haze and Dusty Sage has that same post-apocalyptic Mad Max aesthetic that the Archaeo Brown and Rust Pink has, but the cooler color palette just gives this sneaker a totally different vibe. It’s more futuristic and isn’t a far cry from what UNION is doing with the Air Jordan 2.

UNION did it better though. Sorry Travis but, step it up.

The Nike Air Trainer 1 x CACT.US CORP Grey Haze and Dusty Sage is set to drop on May 27th for a retail price of $160. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Air Jordan 5 Regal Pink

It’s a little late for Easter, but if you’ve ever wanted to rock a pastel pair of Air Jordan 5s, this is your only shot! The Regal Pink features a watercolor-inspired upper with reflective accents throughout and sits atop an icy glow in the dark outsole.

It doesn’t look like your typical Jordan 5 colorway and we love it for that.

The Air Jordan 5 Regal Pink is set to drop on May 27th for a retail price of $210. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Air Jordan 5 Green Bean

As much as we love the pastel tones on the Regal Pink Jordan 5 we get that bright colors aren’t for everyone, and so does Nike, which is why this week also brings the Green Bean Jordan 5. This colorway is one of the silhouette’s most coveted, originally dropping in 2006.

The Green Bean features faded green accents on the sneakers lining, tongue, Jumpman, shark tooth, and midsole with an all-over silver upper with a slight reflective sheen and an icy outsole.

The Air Jordan 5 Green Bean is set to drop on May 28th for a retail price of $210. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

New Balance MADE in USA 990v3

New Balance is on a Nike-esque streak lately. They’re not dropping shoes in the same insane quantity as the Swoosh, but they’ve been hitting us with quality drop after quality drop week to week. Last week we got a more colorful take on the 990, but New Balance is back in that minimal and muted territory that has taken over the brand since Teddy Santis came on board as creative director with this week’s Sea Salt and Rain Cloud 990v3.

Featuring a premium full-grain leather and mesh upper with an ENCAP midsole and a premium synthetic suede sock liner, this v3 990 offers all the support and lightweight style the 990 is known for, in an eye-catching a minimal aesthetic that recalls Santis’ Aime Leon Dore label. A brand that — along with Freshgoods of course — put New Balance back on the map.

The New Balance MADE in USA 990v3 is set to drop on May 26th for a retail price of $209.99. Pick up a pair via the New Balance webstore.

The last project we got from Polo G, the deluxe version of his 2021 album Hall Of Fame, dropped in December, but he’s already prepping the rollout for his next one. The Chicago rapper shared a comedic trailer for his upcoming single, “Distraction,” recruiting YouTuber Kai Cenat for a minute-long sketch previewing the new song. In it, Kai can be seen performing a variety of chores around his house like vacuuming, cleaning the toilet, and taking out the trash, while being distracted by a snippet of the song.

After he nearly goes crazy searching for the source of the music, asking his son, accosting a neighborhood kid, and chucking his boombox out the window, he finally locates a pair of headphones and puts them on, only to have his face blown back as a longer snippet plays.

Although Polo hasn’t put out any solo music since Hall Of Fame 2.0, he has kept the buzz for that project strong by releasing videos for songs like “Unapologetic” with NLE Choppa; “Heating Up” featuring Yungliv; “Start Up Again” featuring Moneybagg Yo; and “Don’t Play” with Lil Baby. He also appeared on Fivio Foreign’s new album, B.I.B.L.E.

“Distraction” is out on June 3 via Columbia Records.

The wounds are still very fresh from the untimely death of Atlanta rapper Lil Keed, but his family and friends managed to come together and lay him to rest on Wednesday (May 25) in his hometown. His pallbearers all wore white as they carried his casket out of the venue. The rapper, real name Raqhid Jevon Render, was reported to have passed earlier this month by his record label Young Stoner Life and brother Lil Gotit. Gotit and other attendees posted themselves at the funeral and paid homage in their captions.

Though no cause of death has been confirmed yet, sources closer to the 24-year-old said he was enduring severe stomach ailments prior to going to the hospital a few days later. Upon his admission, his liver and kidney began to fail. It is especially disheartening considering he had turned to sobriety after a history of drug and alcohol use.

Lil Keed burst onto the scene in 2018 with the record “Nameless” and other Keed Talk To ‘Em collaborations with artists such as Lil Uzi Vert, 21 Savage, Trippie Redd, Lil Durk, Lil Yachty and Brandy. His debut album Long Live Mexico peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart and the rapper was named one of the 10 XXL Freshman in 2020.

You can check out footage of Lil Keed’s pallbearers and a photo of the funeral program above.

Lil Keed is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Post Malone‘s got a new album, Twelve Carat Toothache, coming out next week (what a great title), so naturally, he’s on a press tour to promote it after putting out the first single, “Cooped Up.” And because he’s Post Malone and thus drawn to doing things in unconventional ways, his first stop is none other than Complex’s Hot Ones. While chomping on ultra-spicy chicken tendies with Sean Evans, Posty chops it up about his new album’s recording process, playing Magic The Gathering, and yes, meeting an alien at his Utah compound — unless it was really a ghost.

The story comes up as Sean asks about his “close encounters with wildlife” out there in the hills of Utah, leading to Post recounting his trials with a “big mama cougar” who keeps finding ways over (or under, around, or possibly even through) his pet-protecting fence. “It’s supposed to keep all the wildlife out but somehow, this big cougar keeps getting in,” he recalls, before dropping the bomb. “Also, there was an alien there.” Obviously tickled by Sean’s bemusement, Post elaborates, “Not like a physical alien, but like a ball — I think it was an alien. Or a ghost. We caught it on the infrared camera. Does an alien count as wildlife?”

Post compares the “orb” to Sauron’s Eye from The Lord Of The Rings, which plays into his love of fantasy fiction.

Watch Post Malone’s latest Hot Ones interview above and listen to Twelve Carat Toothache on June 3.

Prolific screen and television star Ray Liotta has reportedly passed away. According to Deadline, the Goodfellas star passed away in his sleep while in the Dominican Republic shooting the film Dangerous Waters. He was 67 years old and leaves behind a daughter, Karsen, and a fiancée, Jacy Nittolo.

Liotta was experiencing a “career resurgence” thanks to performances in The Many Saints of Newark and Marriage Story. The actor also recently wrapped filming on the Cocaine Bear movie helmed by Elizabeth Banks. Via Deadline:

He had his “who’s thar?” turn in the Jonathan Demme-directed Something Wild and got a Golden Globe nomination, and then played banned Chicago superstar Shoeless Joe Jackson in Field of Dreams. He then quickly followed playing gangster Henry Hill in Scorsese’s Goodfellas, opposite Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci in what was to be the defining role of his career. The ruggedly handsome, blue eyed Liotta was a perfect Henry Hill, narrating a tale of his growth into an organized crime gang.

At the time of this writing, there are few details on the cause of Liotta’s death, but he will be sorely missed. With a whopping 126 acting credits under his belt, Liotta was a welcomed presence going all the way back to the 1990s. The guy could do comedy, drama, and everything in between. He even worked with The Muppets, twice, and fans of the iconic Jim Henson creations were quick to pay tribute to Liotta following the news of his passing. But he’ll be remembered most for Goodfellas, with good reason. Watch this scene again if you haven’t recently. Or even if you have. This is all really sad but we can remember the great work he did, too.

(Via Deadline)

There have been some really gross basketball games during the 2022 NBA playoffs, and for 24 minutes, it seemed like Game 5 between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals was going to be the worst of the bunch. Miami took a 40-37 lead into the locker room after neither team eclipsed the 20-point mark in the first quarter. Makes were hard to come by for both squads, and the Celtics seemed like their gameplan was to turn the ball over as often as they possible could.

Boston would go on to win, 93-80, to take a 3-2 series lead. It still wasn’t especially pretty, but the Celtics figured some stuff out in the second half and are now one win away from the NBA Finals. And in the aftermath, Jaylen Brown gave a pretty blunt answer about how the game was a story of two halves.

“First half was sh*t,” Brown said, per Jay King of The Athletic. “Threw it away. Came out and played basketball in the second half.”

Jayson Tatum, meanwhile, gave a glimpse into the halftime conversation, in which the team discussed the importance of more intangible things.

“Basically just talked about how much does it mean to us,” Tatum said. “We know all the plays and things like that, but saw the 50/50 balls and hustle plays and things like that are about toughness and effort. That’s what we talked about, us playing better, taking care of the ball, just competing. Because we know what’s on the line.”

Boston will look to close out the series on Friday night.

Seven years after delivering the action masterpiece, Mad Max: Fury Road, famed Australian director George Miller is back with his latest cinematic endeavor and 20-year-long passion project, Three Thousand Years of Longing, starring Idris Elba (as a freaking genie) and Tilda Swinton. However, Miller’s film is entering a landscape that’s gone through a rapid evolution since Fury Road hit theaters in 2015.

The proliferation of streaming content, which accelerated exponentially during the pandemic, has flooded the market with more films than ever before. While Miller looks at this trend with a reserved amount of exasperation at the sheer volume of it all, he also welcomes the challenge that this new landscape presents to filmmakers. Via Deadline:

“You are obliged to make your work unique in some way,” he said. “Otherwise it doesn’t stand a chance. If it falls too much into tropes or patterns that it doesn’t bring something apparently fresh in one way or another, it just doesn’t have a chance.”

Cinema, he said, was evolving, “And it’s evolving more rapidly than we ever thought. We have more so-called ‘content’ than we’ve ever had. There was a time when I felt I would see just about every film there was to see that was coming out. But that’s impossible now. Literally impossible.”

Miller obviously accepted that challenge as he sought to deliver an absolutely wild, yet personal film in Three Thousand Years of Longing that represents his own relationship with storytelling.

“A lot of me is in Alithea,” Miller said about Swinton’s character. “And the Djinn represents living storytelling, and also the effect of stories and how they can impact on the person who receives them.”

Three Thousand Years of Longing opens in theaters on August 31.

(Via Deadline)

In the wake of the recent Texas school shooting, Stephen King explained what it will take to end the never-ending mass tragedies like the one in Ulvade, Texas, which left at least 19 children dead after an 18-year-old gunman had zero trouble buying two assault rifles immediately after his birthday.

King supplies a very “simple” take (he uses that word, too), one that cuts through all the deflecting from Texas Republicans like huffy Sen. Ted Cruz (who walked out of an interview while complaining that people are politicizing the inherently political issue of gun violence) and Gov. Greg Abbott (who couldn’t believe that Beto O’Rourke called him out for doing nothing to stop the madness). These confrontations, while necessary, will likely go nowhere. To that end, King appears to suggest that there’s no changing the minds of these public-facing representatives. Instead, transformation is only possible by pushing them out of office.

“If the gun protectors in Congress are voted out, things may change,” the bestselling author tweeted. “If they retain their seats, nothing will change. Pretty simple.”

It’s an accurate point, especially because Mitt Romney isn’t about to return his $13+ million in donations from the NRA, nor will we see the same from the other lawmakers on the Brady Center To Prevent Gun Violence’s list of gun-lobby contributions.

King, who wrote an essay called “Guns” after the 2012 Sandy Hook mass shooting, has made no secret of his own firearm ownership. However, he has vigorously argued that semi-automatic weapons should be largely banned while also calling out how it’s simply too easy to purchase them. Meanwhile (this week) in Oklahoma, GOP lawmakers continued with their crusade of doing everything possible to make it even easier to purchase guns.

Yep, there’s a reason why “Sudafed” trended on Twitter this week — because it’s disproportionally more difficult to buy certain OTC cold medications than it is to acquire a gun. And yet, the NRA is still forging ahead with their pre-planned celebratory conference this week, and yes, Ted Cruz will be in attendance.

NORE has a bone to pick with artists who choose to grant interviews to more mainstream outlets. The rapper turned podcaster’s show Drink Champs has become a well of viral moments in hip-hop over the past few years. However, there remains a certain class of artists who offer first looks to shows such as David Letterman’s My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, Zane Lowe’s Apple Music show, or CBS Mornings with Gayle King. This has apparently stuck in NORE’s craw, and he made his feelings known on Twitter last night.

“I have been the best to this culture,” he began. “I have always put hiphop first and I see u guys go to Ellen and David letterman’s and Zane lows and treat them wit more respect then the culture but u say u want black excellence.” He continued, name-checking another few well-known hosts. “Imma be honest even going to Oprah or gal is trash at this point !!! We control our in culture why go outside of it!!! David letterman is my favorite but man why go there or Ellen before million dollars worth of game or joe or the champs or even twitter sh*t!!!”

Aside from the obvious answer, which is that all of those shows have way bigger audiences and reach than the handful of hip-hop-focused podcasts NORE mentioned, it’s worth noting some recent history in searching for an explanation. In recent months, artists like Ari Lennox and Kehlani have both spoken out about feeling disrespected in interviews.

Contrast that with Letterman’s laid-back softball style in his recent interview with Cardi B or King’s empathetic treatment of Megan Thee Stallion‘s shooting injury. Could it be that these women looked at how their peers were treated over such sensitive topics as gender identity and sexual activity and decided to forego the possibility of being publicly embarrassed?

How vulnerable could they be with the rowdy hosts of these podcasts talking over them, gaslighting them, and trying to be “funny” about being shot or dealing with criticism as a woman in hip-hop? Even Nicki Minaj has spoken out before about feeling disrespected by “for the culture” outlets and preferring the professional tone of “white outlets.”

It’s easy to understand where NORE is coming from. Why don’t hip-hop artists do hip-hop media? After all, who helped them get to the upper echelons of pop culture? It can feel like artists are avoiding the scrutiny from the audiences who know them best, only seeking out positive coverage from mainstream media. And that’s valid.

But when the hip-hop-centric media are only interested in goading their subjects, looking for viral moments or juicy gossip, we can’t be surprised when it turns out that professional artists don’t enjoy the less-than-professional atmosphere these shows create. There’s probably a middle ground, but with trust eroded on both sides, it’ll probably take a while for artists to feel like “the culture” gives as much as it takes.