👀 Sneaker of the Week: Pharrell x adidas Virginia adiStar Jellyfish

🔥 The Weekly Lace-Up: Infinite Archives’ new Air Jordan 17 Low, a fall-ready Women’s Air Jordan 1 High OG, and the Grateful Dead x Oregon Ducks x Nike Air Max 90 that no one saw coming

📸 Kick Flick: Bronny James rocks a Nike LeBron Witness 9 at NBA Media Day 2025

Each week, we’ll select one standout pair, be it a classic, sleeper, new drop, or something with a story worth telling. Plus, Chase will give his verdict.

This week, we’ve tapped…

Pharrell Williams has done it all in music, fashion, sneakers, and culture. But in 2025, the multi-hyphenate continues to expand his legacy in design, blurring the lines between luxury and streetwear through his ongoing work with adidas and Louis Vuitton. His latest project with adidas embodies that crossover perfectly: the adidas Virginia adiStar Jellyfish.

Debuted on August 23rd, the adidas Virginia adiStar Jellyfish—or simply the adidas Jellyfish, as it’s often called—has captured the sneaker community’s attention in a way reminiscent of Pharrell’s adidas NMD projects from the early 2010s. The launch colorway, “Focus Olive/Orange,” is already reselling for nearly three times its retail price on the secondary market, a clear sign of the demand surrounding Pharrell’s newest creation.

Since the shoe’s rollout, Pharrell has teased additional colorways, including the recently released “Green” edition that dropped on October 11th—a pair first spotted on his feet during a Clipse show in Miami over the summer. The new version mirrors the original’s layout, highlighted by black and green TPU accents on the Three Stripes and side trim. Dropping alongside it was an equally versatile “Grey” colorway, rounding out what’s quickly becoming one of adidas’ most talked-about releases of the year.

The Pharrell x adidas Virginia adiStar Jellyfish not only reaffirms Pharrell’s ability to command attention through design but also proves that chunky silhouettes still have a firm place in today’s sneaker landscape. Nearly two decades into his sneaker journey, Pharrell’s still setting trends, not following them.

Call it recency bias—or hype, or a case of seeing one too many ballerina shoes this summer—but I think Pharrell’s new adidas Virginia adiStar Jellyfish might be his best work with the Three Stripes yet. It bridges eras: futuristic like the NMDs once were, but grounded in the luxury-sport vibe Pharrell’s mastered with Louis Vuitton. And if you think it’s just another “dad shoe,” think again.

Pharrell’s decision to release the adidas Jellyfish at a time when everyone is obsessed with thin-soled models like the adidas Samba, Nike Total 90, and so on, speaks to his instinct for zigging when everyone else zags. Much of the sneaker world is chasing minimalism and nostalgia right now, but Pharrell continues to carve out his own lane—one rooted in experimentation, bold proportions, and storytelling. The Jellyfish isn’t trying to fit in with today’s wave of low-profile silhouettes. It’s a reminder that innovation in design still has a place, even when the trends say otherwise.

Since launching in 2015, Infinite Archives has made it its mission to curate pop culture, spanning sports, cars, art, and fashion, and highlight its relevance today. The brand’s latest move shines a spotlight on the Air Jordan 17 Low, giving it a fresh makeover inspired by the Player Exclusive colorways once reserved for Jordan Brand athletes in the 2000s. The “Beach” colorway, set to release on October 17th, features a cream-and-black upper complemented by a distinctive multi-color outsole, setting it apart from previous Jordan 17 releases. Buy them now →

A standout from Jordan Brand’s Fall 2025 collection, the Women’s Air Jordan 1 High OG “Fir” features a seasonal color scheme of Sail and Fir Green on its leather base, overlays, and Swoosh, respectively, with a pop of Metallic Gold landing on the classic “Wings” branding on the color. It drops on October 18th. Buy them now →

Just when you thought you’d seen it all in sneakers, The Grateful Dead, the Oregon Ducks, and Nike have teamed up for a surprising three-way collaboration on the Air Max 90. While both The Grateful Dead and the Ducks have partnered with Nike before, this joint effort is an unexpected crossover that blends music, sport, and sneaker culture in one unique project.

Teased by Bodega, the sneaker features a colorful tie-dye mudguard and Swoosh inspired by The Grateful Dead x Nike SB Dunk Low of 2020. A playful hangtag showcases hand-holding ducks—an homage to The Dead’s iconic dancing bears—while green-and-yellow accents hit the Air Max branding window, tongue, and outsole as a nod to the Oregon Ducks. Completing the design is a rainbow contrast stitch bordering each panel, tying together the collaboration’s free-spirited aesthetic.

The connection between The Grateful Dead and the Oregon Ducks might not be obvious at first glance, but it runs deeper than expected. The band has performed at the University of Oregon numerous times throughout its storied career, and this Fall, Oregon will celebrate that shared history with a “Grateful Ducks” football game on October 25th, encouraging fans to fill Autzen Stadium with tie-dye.

Nike has yet to officially announce the sneaker’s release, but rumors point to an October 24th drop—just a day before the big game.

On the eve of his 23rd NBA season, LeBron James is still making major headlines. On October 6th, the future Hall of Famer took to Instagram to tease what he called “The Second Decision,” sparking speculation about whether he planned to retire after the 2025–2026 season. The teaser showed LeBron on a set resembling his infamous 2010 “Decision,” complete with a near-identical outfit to his oft-mocked free agency announcement. But instead of revealing retirement plans, LeBron used “The Second Decision” to announce a new partnership with Hennessy V.S.O.P., complete with his own collaborative edition of the cognac.

While LeBron hasn’t made his basketball future clear just yet, “The Second Decision” may have offered a hint about what’s next. In the video, he declares that Year 23 won’t be the last time fans see “King James” on an NBA court. Whether that holds true remains to be seen, but one thing’s certain: LeBron is still enjoying himself on and off the court. And with the Nike LeBron 23 already turning heads, his presence in both basketball and sneaker culture remains as powerful as ever.

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Last season, LeBron James and his son Bronny made history as the NBA’s first-ever father-son duo to appear in a regular-season game. This season, as LeBron aims to lead the Los Angeles Lakers toward title contention, Bronny looks to build on a promising rookie campaign and cement his place in the team’s rotation. Before the season tipped off, the duo took a moment to enjoy the NBA’s 2025 Media Day festivities, showing up in some serious heat on their feet.

LeBron sported the new family-inspired Nike LeBron 23 “The Chosen One and the One Who Chose,” while Bronny went with something a bit more unexpected: a never-before-seen colorway of the Nike LeBron Witness 9 in mostly pink, featuring a Travis Scott–inspired reverse Swoosh on the side. Bronny’s choice shouldn’t surprise anyone who followed his footwear habits last season—he frequently laced up Nike LeBron takedown models like the NXXT Gen line, and occasionally Nike Kobes, when he wasn’t rocking the signature LeBron releases.

It’s unclear whether Bronny’s Nike LeBron Witness 9 will see a retail release in the coming months, but nothing is out of the question. As we’ve seen with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s all-white Converse SHAI 001 at the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Media Day, these “Player Exclusive” colorways often make their debut as moment-making statements, building buzz before eventually reaching the public.