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With the start of the WNBA season and the NBA playoffs well underway, early returns on the sneaker landscape for May are almost entirely coming up basketball.
New signature models from Kevin Durant, his 17th from Nike, and Breanna Stewart, her third form Puma are both slated to launch roughly halfway through the month. Durant will also see the first-ever retro for one of the most heralded sneakers from his career, and new two new colorways will come out of Nike’s Kobe Protro series.
On the collaboration front, LaMelo Ball will link with KidSuper through his Puma MB.03. And away from hoops, Travis Scott will add another take on the Air Jordan 1 Low, Bode’s Nike Astrorgrabber will return for a second chance at purchasing and A$AP Rocky will help revive a Puma running sneaker from 2000 that will fit in well within the wider Y2K running trend.
Below, Footwear News has charted out the best sneaker releases for May. We’ve also prepped dedicated pages Air Jordan, Nike and Adidas releases for the month. This post will be updated as new information becomes available.
Bode x Nike Astrograbber “Light Cream” and “Black”
Release Date: May 1
Price: $160
A second drop for Bode’s Nike debut is scheduled to go down on the Snkrs app. The Astrograbber plays it close to its root as a football turf shoe from the early ’70s while adding charms distinct to each colorway.
Nike Kobe 8 Protro “Mambacita”
Release Date: May 1
Price: $190
Nike celebrates the late Gigi Bryant’s birthday for the third year in a row with a special-edition Kobe sneaker. This year’s Kobe 8 continues the black, white and gold theme while adding a butterfly print.
Adidas Harden Vol. 8 “Blue Fusion”
Release Date: May 1
Price: $190
James Harden’s hit signature sneaker gets a blue and white makeup that makes it the closest thing yet to a Los Angeles Clippers colorway.
Cactus Plant Flea Market x Nike Air Force 1 Low “Fuchsia” and “Moss”
Release Date: May 1
Price: $150
The enigmatic streetwear brand CPFM brings back its Nike Air More Uptempo-inspired AF1 Low in two tonal colorways to close a four-year gap on its last release for the staple sneaker.
Salehe Bembury x Crocs Saru
Release Date: May 2
Price: TBD
Salehe Bembury’s third model for Crocs combines elements from his first, the Pollex Clog, and the brand’s Classic Clog in three colorways. Later this month, his fourth silhouette will arrive through the first sneaker.
Supreme x Nike SB Darwin Low
Release Date: May 2
Price: $118
Supreme and Nike SB are bringing back the Darwin Low, an outdoor basketball sneaker from 1994, for the very first time. Four colorways — camo, neon green, white and blue, and black — will make for a prolific drop date.
New Balance 993 Made in USA “Chive” and “Purple”
Release Date: May 2
Price: $220
The latest assortment from Teddy Santis’ New Balance Made in USA line brings two vivid treatments for the beloved 993.
Adidas Samba Millenium
Release Date: May 2
Price: $150
A modernized Samba made for indoor soccer in 2009 makes its return and will test the bandwidth for terrace style.
A$AP Rocky x Puma Inhale OG
Release Date: May 3
Price: $120
A$AP Rocky is helping Puma bring back its Inhale running sneaker from 2000, and 150 pairs featuring a custom insole from the rapper will only be available through gifting.
Nike Dunk Low “Ultraman”
Release Date: May 3
Price: $135
Nike continues to bring back Dunk Lows originally released as super-rare Japan-exclusives under the Co.JP line more than 20 years ago. With an unofficial “Ultraman” nickname, this iteration from 1999 pays homage to the ’60s Japanese sci-fi character of the same name.
Air Jordan 4 “Military Blue”
Release Date: May 4
Price: $215
The second-biggest Air Jordan release of the year thus far is an Air Jordan 4 colorway that hasn’t been released in 12 years and has never returned with its “Nike Air” branding on a retro release.
Adidas Samba “Wonder Silver”
Release Date: May 4
Price: $100
The Samba gets a new colorway prime for the summer.
PJ Tucker x Nike Air Flight ’89
Release Date: May 5
Price: $160
The NBA’s undisputed sneaker king gets his first Nike collab with the Air Flight ’89, a sister shoe of sorts for the Air Jordan 4, which will release exclusively through PJ Tucker’s Houston sneaker boutique, The Better Generation.
Nike Cortez “Forrest Gump”
Release Date: May 8
Price: $110
The shoe Jennie gave the namesake character of “Forrest Gump” makes its return to stores with a premium leather makeup.
KidSuper x Puma MB.03
Release Date: May 9
Price: $135
KidSuper proves a natural fit for LaMelo Ball’s Puma MB.03 colorway, as both have a penchant for can’t-miss graphics.
MMW Nike Zoom 6 Trd Run
Release Date: May 9
Price: TBD
Alyx founder Matthew M. Williams and Nike made a running shoe specifically for treadmills, and with a greater sense of style than you’re likely to find on any surface, arriving in two monochromatic colorways. Pricing hasn’t been confirmed but should come in at least $300, judging by previous MMW Nike sneakers.
Dingyun Zhang x Adidas Samba
Release Date: May 10
Price: $250
First-time Adidas collaborator and former Yeezy designer Dingyun Zhang gives the Samba a luxurious and exaggerated look with patent leather and a plush collar commanding a premium price tag.
Nike Book 1 “Rattlesnake”
Release Date: May 11
Price: $150
Devin Booker’s first signature sneaker gets its second colorway with snakeskin detailing inspired by his love of hiking and the fauna of the state in which he plays for the Phoenix Suns.
Puma Stewie 3 “Dawn in ‘Cuse”
Release Date: May 14
Price: $125
WNBA superstar Breanna Stewart’s third signature sneaker debuts in a colorway calling out her hometown of Syracuse.
Korn x Adidas Campus 2.0
Release Date: May 15
Price: $120
Korn and Adidas reunite after their debut collaboration last fall and now turn to the Campus 2.0 with grey suede and the same array of branding from the first two sneakers. A red Supermodified will also release along with a run of apparel and accessories.
Nike Air Zoom GT Hustle 2 “Victor Wembanyama”
Release Date: May 15
Price: $170
The NBA’s surefire Rookie of the Year gets his first-ever sneaker release through a special edition of the GT Hustle 2 embracing his “Alien” nickname. Wembanyama will likely receive a signature sneaker in the next year or so as well.
Pharrell x Humanrace Adidas Samba
Release Date: May 15
Price: $170
All featuring the same grey suede and leather base, Pharrell’s Humanrace x Adidas Samba is dropping in six colorways at once. Red, blue, yellow, green, black or white options form the Three Stripes, mustache and sockliner.
Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Low “Canary Low”
Release Date: May 17
Price: $150
Following the launch of his first signature sneaker, Travis Scott returns to his favorite model for collaboration with an AJ1 Low taking on the colors of his high school.
New Balance 1906R and Wrpd Runner “Grey Days”
Release Date: May 17
Price: TBD
New Balance’s month-long celebration of its signature color scheme includes a one-two punch of the retooled 1906R and young Wrpd Runner silhouettes in one day.
Nike KD 17 “Sunrise”
Release Date: May 17
Price: $150
Kevin Durant’s newest signature sneaker releases a month after had been previously reported but still well shy of a year after its predecessor. With its overt inspiration from the Air Max Plus, the KD 17 could be his biggest sneaker in years.
Air Jordan 11 “Space Jam”
Release Date: May 18
Price: $190
The beloved “Space Jam” arrangement comes to the Air Jordan 11 for the very first time for what will likely be a ubiquitous sneaker this summer.
Nike KD 4 “Weatherman”
Release Date: May 21
Price: $130
Another high-profile Durant drop sees one the most iconic sneakers of his career come back for the first time.
J. Balvin x Air Jordan 3 “Rio”
Release Date: May 22
Price: $250
As a follow-up to the sneaker celebrating his birthplace in Colombia, the J. Balvin x Air Jordan 3 “Rio” now looks to Brazil while flipping black for white while featuring the same gradient detailing.
Air Jordan 12 “Red Taxi”
Release Date: May 25
Price: $200
The original Air Jordan 12 “Taxi” colorway undergoes slight changes including small red midfoot paneling and a switch from gold- to silver-tone eyelets.
Salehe Bembury x Crocs Juniper “Guava”
Release Date: May 30
Price: TBD
Salehe Bembury and Crocs’ massively succesful partnership is now turning to sneakers for the first time for the Juniper, which maintains their signature fingerprint motif with an aggresive sole unit.
Nike Kobe 4 Protro “Girl Dad”
Release Date: May 31
Price: $190
The second Nike Kobe release invokes the relationship Bryant had with his four daughters through a new green suede makeup.
About the Author:
Ian Servantes is a Senior Trending News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.
