Must-Cop Sneakers in the Back Half of 2021
The front half of 2021 has been action-packed in the sneakersphere. We’ve seen both Grail-worthy drops and a slew of heater GRs. And we’ve also witnessed people still drunk on the Dunk, collaboration kings reigning supreme, and Lil Nas X getting a little satanic. The never-ending hype cycle continues to turn, and the secondary market is still popping off.
But June has come to an end, which means we’re heading into the back half of 2021, with the release calendar already looking stacked! Figuring out what to buy can be overwhelming, so here are the must cops for the back half of 2021.
Air Jordan 4 ‘Shimmer’
The first half of 2021 saw the Air Jordan 4 pop off. We had the ‘White Oreo’ AKA ‘Tech White’, the Union colab, ‘University Blue’, and a rumoured ‘Red Thunder’. With all these releases attracting some major attention, we weren’t surprised when the ‘Shimmer’ started to match those excitement levels.
A relatively neutral low-key colourway, it first surfaced in 2020, and was then officially revealed more recently via the Jordan Brand Fall 2021 preview. A women’s release, it’s reminiscent of Off-White’s AJ4 ‘Sail’ from last year, which might explain some of the hype that’s been brewing.
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Nike SB Dunk High ‘Strawberry Cough’
The ‘Strawberry Cough’ is indeed an interesting release. Designed by artist Todd Bratrud, it’s been inspired by the Strawberry Cough marijuana strain, and was meant to drop as part of 2020’s 4/20 celebrations, however mysteriously didn’t.
This Nike SB Dunk High combo just sat idle for the past year, living on only in the form of leaked pre-release imagery. That was until July 1 when official pics emerged ahead of an alleged release! At the time of writing this, there’s been no updates, but we do hear it’s meant to arrive before the year is out.
Off-White x Air Jordan 2 Low
The Off-White x Nike combo has been going on for a number of years now, and at this point you either love it or you hate it. But whatever your feelings are on Virgil Abloh and his design legacy, it’s going to be hard to go past the Off-White x Air Jordan 2 Low!
The fact that it’s dropping on the 35th anniversary of the AJ2, mixed with the very on-trend ‘aged’ look, makes this a must-cop.
Yeezy 700 MNVN ‘Honey Flux’
Whether Yeezy is your go-to or not, you can’t deny that Kanye West and adidas are on a roll right now. The year 2021 has seen our release calendars constantly stacked with Yeezy goodness, from the Foam Runner to the bread-and-butter BOOST 350 V2. While a bunch are scheduled to hit shelves in the back half of the year, one that you need to keep your eyes on is the 700 MNVN ‘Honey Flux’. Perfectly embodying the 2021 Yeezy aesthetic, you might live to regret it if you pass up on these.
Air Jordan 1 ‘Bred Patent’
An Air Jordan 1 in the classic ‘Bred’ colourway, constructed using patent leather. For almost every sneakerhead, this is a no-brainer! While it’s not exactly the OG that we’ve come to know and love, it’s probably the closest thing we’ll get for another couple of years, not to mention the shiny point of difference this could add to your rotation.
Bad Bunny x adidas ZX 8000 ‘Ice Cream’
Whether you’re one of the multi-million Bad Bunny fans or not, his adidas ZX 8000 ‘Ice Cream’ will be hard to pass up! The recent rumours about the shoe were quickly followed by a clear in-hand look, causing hype to skyrocket. While the melting lateral side is super cool, it’s not the main reason we think this is a must-cop. The subtly tweaked branding is what has convinced us that it’s worthy.
