Release Round-Up: The Best Chinese New Year Sneakers Dropping this Year
The Lunar New Year is fast approaching, and as we prepare for the upcoming Year of the Pig, so we prepare for the onslaught of releases that come with the annual holiday.
The deluge of drops seems even more overwhelming this year than in those past, so we thought we'd help you make the right decisions come the new moon by rounding up the best of this year's CNY releases. Peruse our picks below and start planning.
Nike's 12-Strong 'Year of the Pig' Drop
The Swoosh took a shotgun approach to their CNY releases this year, and will probably come out on top just by shear volume of releases. It's hard to argue with 12 silhouettes taking on the theme — and that's not even counting the dribs and drabs they've announced since. The collection has all tastes covered, from crowd-pleasing AM90s and AM270s to stand-out AJ12s, so expect a big splash as releases roll out.
Purlicue x Vans 'The Fat Year'
Purlicue and Vans' 'The Fat Year' release takes the cake for best concept in this year's CNY releases, fattening up Eras and Old Skools for the new year. With plumped up Jazz Stripes, bloated license plates, and Fat Year branding, they took everything we love about the skate stalwarts and gave us more of it!
adidas NMD 'Chinese New Year'
Sometimes you don't need to go all out for a theme; sometimes the little things just work. Such is the case for adi's CNY NMD. With a reliable colour combo, black BOOST and a subtle dragon's head patch on the heel, this is a Chinese New Year release you could wear all year round.
New Balance 997 'Chinese New Year'
The Boston brand are ringing in the New Year with class, tempting your red envelope with some sleek red 997s. Of course, it's New Balance, so the devil's in the details: the tongue wears a Chinese-inspired NB stamp, and the midsole has copped a lick of gold.
Nike Air Max 98 'CNY'
We know, we know. These are technically included in Nike's CNY pack, but look at them, they definitely deserved to be singled out! With six different materials and all manner of colours and patterns, these will have you seeing in the Year of the Pig in the most decadent way possible.
Nike Flightposite 'CNY'
One more for good luck — and it's not for the faint hearted. This celebratory Flightposite takes the patchwork from the 'Year of the Pig' release and plasters it across the Foamposite for a head-turning take on the silhouette. These were initially a China-only release, so keep your ear to the ground for a worldwide drop.