July’s best sneaker drops: Your guide to must-have releases

Our monthly series looks at the top releases from the best brands in athletic footwear. Whether you’re an avid sneakerhead or just looking for the perfect pair to complement your style, navigating the vast world of sneakers can be overwhelming. From understanding where to buy to decoding the latest trends, consider this your road map to finding the perfect pair.

June let everybody know that it was not a skippable month. July looks to up the ante partly due to the Olympic Games starting July 26. While many brands focus on Olympic-themed collections, July is more than just Paris apparel. Not to be lost in the shuffle: The mesh boyz are back, and a few homages to home with a bit of nostalgia.

Scratching a nostalgic itch

While Memphis Grizzles point guard Ja Morant spent limited time on the court this year due to a shoulder injury, he turned heads with his footwear choices when he did suit up. In particular, when Morant made his season debut, he debuted a pair of Nike Ja 1s in a flip of the fan-favorite “Scratch” colorway. When they saw the shoes, people immediately thought of the Grizzles’ former home of Vancouver.

This pair, now dubbed the “Reverse Scratch,” will finally be released. The predominantly white upper with hits of teal across the midsole and red on the heel shoe will hit shelves just in time for the Fourth of July and peak cookout season. Don’t be surprised if you see these on the feet of someone rocking a throwback Mike Bibby or Shareef Abdur-Rahim Vancouver jersey.

Release date: July 1

Retail price: $130

A subdued take on a style icon

Most people know New York Knicks play-by-play announcer Walt “Clyde” Frazier as a fashion and style icon who can be found on the sidelines of New York Knicks games. However, before the legendary Knicks guard found ways to make all the animal prints in the Sahara come together, he made waves in his Puma shoes. There’s a legend that at one point, Frazier wanted a new pair of shoes and a new shoe color for every game he played.

If you believe that, this spectra green pair could have easily been something Frazier would have wanted on his feet during or after the game. Spectra green dominates the upper, and a frosted ivory Formstrip is paired with white shoelaces to finish out the uppers. Don’t be surprised to see Frazier wearing them at some point.

Release date: July 1

Retail price: $120

GT-2160 is another one for the mesh boyz

Asics returns with another GT-2160 for the mesh boyz, just in time for the start of the 2024 Olympic Games. The “Paris” colorway arrives in a soft cream base with neon orange and green hits complemented by a silver overlay. The color scheme plays on Paris’ nickname, the City of Light. Like any other pair of Asics, keeping things clean and simple is best with a nice black T-shirt and gym shorts.

Release date: July 5

Retail price: $120

Jordan pays tribute to Carolina’s history

There’s something unique and fitting about NBA legend Michael Jordan’s synergy of growing up in North Carolina, going on to star at UNC, and having the nickname of His Airness. The latest Jordan 1 High is a tribute to MJ’s Carolina roots and the state.

Carolina Blue is the star of the show, sitting on top of a sail white upper paired with navy blue on the heel and collar. The gold “Wings” logo combined with “First in Flight” underneath the Nike Air tag on the shoe’s tongue is a nice touch that makes this pair exceptional, not just another run-of-the-mill Jordan 1 release.

Making this pair a women’s exclusive shows that the Jordan brand can truly create unique products for women who are also sneakerheads.

Release date: July 6

Retail price: $160

The Sunders return

The Air Max Sunders are back for the first time since the cross-training model’s 1999 release, other than the Comme des Garçons collaboration in 2021. Early previews indicate Nike intends to reissue OG colorways and tooling, much to the delight of enthusiasts and purists. The only drawback would be the price increase, but chalk that up to inflation and be happy this retro means adding a wearable pair into the rotation.

Release date: July 11

Retail price: $180

Action Bronson’s latest gets a second chance

The initial releases for the Action Bronson x New Balance 1906R “Medusa Azul” and “Rosewater” were chaotic, especially the latter one, which initially required buyers to purchase a bundle that included a $125 crewneck. Needless to say, people were angry. It’s a shame, too, since all three shoes from the 1906R collaboration have been good entries for chef/rapper Action Bronson. The botched releases tend to leave a bad taste in people’s mouths.

Now, a wider release via New Balance is slated to give those interested another opportunity to purchase at retail. Everybody loves a good do-over.

Release date: July 12

Retail price: $185

A Ma Maniere returns to the Air Jordan 3

There’s a certain level of skill and care about one’s craft required to release products at the rate that James Whitner and A Ma Maniere do with their Jordan collabs, and each one feels fresh and unique. That’s the case here as A Ma Maniere returns to the Jordan 3 to deliver another unique take on the classic silhouette.

Unlike the “Raised By Women” collab from 2021, the new release takes on a darker tonal approach. It features a black upper with a soft plum tongue and A Ma Maniere and Jordan’s logo on the left and right shoe tongues. The highlight of this pair is the suede mudguard and heel counter used to replace the usual elephant print for which the model is best known. According to the standard with A Ma Maniere, we can expect all these details and more to be done with premium materials.

Release date: July 18

Retail price: TBD

The basketball shoe of the year gets updated

Ask most sneakerheads, and they’ll tell you that Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards’ Adidas signature shoe, the AE1, is undoubtedly the basketball shoe of the year. Edwards’ play and personality on the court and Adidas’ fresh marketing approach made this shoe a must-have for hoopers and sneakerheads.

What do you do for an encore? Take the top off, of course. The AE 1 Low debuts in a marbled grey paired with a black upper colorway nicknamed the ascent. That name fits because Edwards and his shoes aim to climb to the top of the NBA and the footwear world.

Release date: July 20

Retail price: $110

A Jordan 3 made for rec league all-stars

Yes, this is a list of must-cop sneakers. However, when the greatest sneaker of all time returns as a cleat, it’s only right that we show a little love. The Air Jordan 3 “Black Cement” cleat features almost everything we love about the traditional version of the Jordan 3. The beloved “Nike Air” branding on the heel tab is the only thing missing. These will turn heads on the rec and intramural fields.

Release date: July 27

Retail price: $200

Kyrie Irving’s love letter home

When Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving signed with Chinese brand Anta, many were still determining how things would go for the star. Now that Irving has found his sneaker home, he’s paying tribute to the state that raised him.

This edition of the Anta Kai 1 “Garden State” has sage green hues that evoke the Statue of Liberty. However, the true beauty and nod to the “Garden State” of New Jersey come once you look closer and see the floral print in the sage green hues.

Release date: July

Retail: $120

Remembering that childlike ’90s fun

Any kid who grew up and ran around outside during the ’90s usually carried one of two things: a Super Soaker (you were really the cool kid if you had the backpack one) and a Nerf gun. The latest KD 4 retro recaptures that fun feeling, plus the essence of the shoe’s original 2012 release.

A primarily concord upper is dressed with red, grey and green to match the classic Nerf logo and color scheme from the ’90s. Black across the midsole paired with a red sole with a splatter effect ties this shoe together and perfectly completes the eye-catching appeal. Add in a concord-colored shoe box that features the same airbrushed graffiti effect that the straps on the shoe’s upper use, and it completes the “It’s summertime, and I’m outside with my friends” feeling the shoe was aiming for.

Release date: July

Retail: $130

A Yeezy firesale

When Adidas announced that it was ending its partnership with rapper Kanye West, many people wondered what would happen to the brand’s entire inventory of Yeezy products. Simple: Put it up for sale on Adidas’ Confirmed app and website and discount-specific models.

If you’ve been searching for a pair of Yeezy’s at retail, now is as good as a chance you may have to get them before they’re gone to the resale market for good.

Release date: June 23

Retail: Starting at $115