👀 Sneaker of the Week: A Ma Maniére x Air Jordan 5 “Black Collective”

🔥 The Weekly Lace-Up: KD’s Seattle SuperSonics-inspired Nike KD 18 “Rain City,” Bad Bunny’s Puerto Rico-inspired adidas Gazelle project, and Tom Sachs’ I.S.R.U. Summer Camp

📸 Kick Flick: Hiroshi Fujiwara debuts the Fragment Design x Union x Air Jordan 1 “Sport Royal”

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…

In this issue, we’ll be exploring the A Ma Maniére x Air Jordan 5 “Black Collective.”

Following successful collaborations on the Nike Air Force 1 Low and Air Max 95, A Ma Maniére continues its “Every Summer Tells a Story” campaign with the Air Jordan 5 “Black Collective,” a powerful new colorway inspired by the Black South and the silhouette’s 35th anniversary.

Now on its third Jordan 5 collaboration, the upscale boutique returns to its signature palette of white, burgundy, and black. This time, the trio of tones appears on the base, tongue, and mudguard, respectively. A faux-aged finish on the side netting leans into AMM’s retro-luxury aesthetic, while mismatched tongue branding sees A Ma Maniére’s signature “A” logo on the left shoe and a Jumpman on the right. Also returning is the plush quilted lining, a hallmark of AMM’s previous Jordan designs.

Rounding out the details: two sets of laces—cream and black—are crafted from cotton sourced from Seed2Shirt, the first Black-owned, vertically integrated apparel supply chain in the U.S. Each pair comes packaged in a custom box featuring Juneteenth-inspired words of affirmation.

The A Ma Maniére x Air Jordan 5 “Black Collective” is more than just a shoe. It’s a celebration of culture, history, and craftsmanship. Set to release soon, this collaboration cements AMM’s status as a master storyteller in the sneaker world.

The A Ma Maniére x Air Jordan 5 “Black Collective” releases on July 25th through A Ma Maniére’s website and stores. Pricing for the Air Jordan 5 is set at $225.

The Air Jordan 5 is back in the spotlight this week thanks to A Ma Maniére and Jordan Brand’s new “Black Collective” colorway. Celebrating both the model’s 35th anniversary and the culture of the Black South, the release is yet another win for A Ma Maniére, who, in my honest opinion, is easily a top-three collaborator in sneakers right now.

That’s because few are combining intention, storytelling, and execution like AMM. Over the last few months, the boutique has shown off its creative chops with its “Every Summer Tells a Story” campaign, a project that, in their words, “honors the legacy, community, and culture through iconic silhouettes reimagined for now.” So far, classics like the Nike Air Force 1 Low and the Air Max 95 have received thoughtful makeovers, each one rooted in cultural significance and elevated design. Now, with the release of the Air Jordan 5 “Black Collective,” AMM continues that narrative, this time turning its attention to the Black South and one of Jordan Brand’s most iconic silhouettes.

I’m excited to see where A Ma Maniére takes its “Every Summer Tells a Story” campaign next. The collection is rooted in giving essential Nike and Jordan silhouettes a refined, story-driven makeover, and it’s easy to imagine the brand applying this ethos to other classics like the Air Jordan 6, the Air Max 1, or even the Foamposite. I’m predicting the Foamposite will have a huge cultural moment as more colorways surface in the coming months, making it a prime candidate for AMM’s next big statement.

Another week, another Nike KD 18 worth watching. Next up in Kevin Durant’s eighteenth signature line with Nike Basketball is a standout colorway paying homage to his first NBA home: Seattle.

Slated for a July 22nd drop and dubbed the “Rain City,” this KD 18 nods to the Pacific Northwest’s famously gloomy skies with a moody Black and University Gold color scheme. Rain droplet graphics appear on the Terra Humara-inspired midfoot cage, while the underside of the tongue features an embroidered callout to June 28, 2007—the day Durant was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics. Buy them now →

Looking for a shoe to ride out the rest of summer in? The Air Jordan 3 GS “Denim/Pink Glow”—a youth-exclusive release—is as summer-ready as it gets. This ultra-versatile pair pairs a clean white leather upper with Denim-colored elephant print overlays on the toe and heel. A tasteful pop of Pink Glow adds just the right amount of energy, landing on the top and bottom eyelets and the embroidered Jumpman logo on the tongue.

Releasing on July 24th, the “Denim/Pink Glow” Jordan 3 is a perfect pick for warm-weather rotations. Buy them now →

Bad Bunny’s first-ever residency is officially underway—and it’s happening where it all began: Puerto Rico. To celebrate, the international superstar, multi-hyphenate creative, and adidas collaborator is dropping a special “City Series” Gazelle Pack, featuring three colorways inspired by his home. The first two pairs—“El Yunque” and “Santurce”—were released on July 11th at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum during his No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí concert. A third—the “Cabo Rojo”—will be released on July 26th.

The Gazelle “City Series” draws from the Gazelle Indoor silhouette that debuted in 2024, reimagined through the lens of Puerto Rican culture. All three colorways pay tribute to different parts of the island. The green-based “El Yunque” honors El Yunque National Forest, the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System.

“Santurce” celebrates the vibrant pulse of Puerto Rican music, dance, and contemporary art. The pink-toned “Cabo Rojo” is inspired by the region’s iconic pink salt flats and the rare natural phenomenon of pink waters caused by salt-loving microorganisms.

Each pair features a two-toned suede upper and a translucent gum outsole. Details like gold debossed city names on the lateral heel, external size tags, roped laces, and exposed tongue stitching nod to Bad Bunny’s earlier Gazelle Indoor release, rounding out a pack that feels personal, intentional, and unmistakably Puerto Rican.

Tom Sachs and Nike are gearing up for the highly anticipated release of the Nike Mars Yard 3.0 on September 5th. But before then, Sachs is giving fans the chance to complete challenges in an effort to secure the coveted shoe as part of the I.S.R.U. Summer Camp, which kicked off on July 17th.

News of Sachs and Nike reuniting broke in September 2024, and since then, sneaker collectors have been anxiously awaiting the next chapter in the duo’s storied partnership. Now, nearly a year after that announcement—and more than a decade since rumors of a Mars Yard 3.0 first surfaced—the hyped silhouette is finally getting a formal release.

In a 17-minute video posted by Sachs, the New York-based sculptor offers insight into the philosophy behind the Mars Yard line. “Nike Running is for runners, Nike Basketball is for basketball, and NikeCraft is for everyone else,” he says. That’s been the ethos of the collaboration all along.

Back in 2022, Sachs and Nike dropped the Nike General Purpose Shoe—a silhouette designed, according to Sachs, to handle just about any situation thrown its (and your) way. Reception for the model was strong, with many crediting it as the spark behind today’s casual sneaker wave—one that’s made slim, understated silhouettes like the adidas Samba, Gazelle, Puma Speedcat, and others feel essential again.

Now, all eyes are on what Sachs and Nike have planned next. Not much is known about the Mars Yard 3.0 as of this writing, but more details are expected in the weeks ahead. If history is any indicator, the Mars Yard 3.0 won’t just be a collector’s item, it’ll be a shoe for the dreamers, tinkerers, and everyday people Sachs has always designed for.

Sign up for the I.S.R.U. Summer Camp here, download the app here.

Just a few summers ago, three-way collaborations were the biggest trend in sneakers. And thanks to Hiroshi Fujiwara and the Fragment Design x Union x Air Jordan 1 “Sport Royal,” there’s a good chance that wave is on its way back.

Recently spotted on Fujiwara’s feet in New York City, the “Sport Royal” brings together three of the biggest names in streetwear and continues Union’s tradition of fusing iconic Jordan 1 colorways into one design. The shoe features signature details pulled from Fragment and Union’s past collaborations with Jordan Brand, like Fragment’s lightning bolt logo on the lateral heel and Union’s “UN/LA” tag on the mid-panel. At its core, though, the “Sport Royal” feels unmistakably Union.

The base of the shoe draws from the original Air Jordan 1 “Royal” from 1985, showcasing royal blue hits on the toe box, Swoosh, and heel overlays, paired with classic black leather panels. The upper portion nods to the “White/Navy” colorway, with shaggy suede around the collar, exposed stitching, spongey interiors, and distressed leather details—all set atop a pre-oxidized midsole that adds to the vintage aesthetic.

As of now, the “Sport Royal” is reportedly slated for a Spring 2026 release. The only official confirmation so far came from Union’s Chris Gibbs during an interview with Sneaker News.