A Ma Maniére and Nike's "For The Love" Collection Brings Appreciation to This Week's Best Footwear Drops

After five days of nonstop hoops, the stage is now set for the Sweet 16 of the men's and women's college basketball tournaments. Before play resumes this Thursday, we've got an exciting lineup of launches in the sneaker space that kicks off tomorrow with the celebration of Nike's annual Air Max Day holiday. In addition to Nike, other brands involved this week include New Balance, PUMA, Clarks, Vans, Saucony, adidas, and Jordan Brand.

Looking back at last week's headlines, we began the week with a feature on ROMBAUT's ultramodern PUMA Levitation collaboration, which included a discussion with founder Mats Rombaut about developing the campaign, his time as YEEZY's head of footwear, and more.

As for traditional news, Nike unveiled three eye-catching projects -- the return of the Air Max Craze, ACG Mountain Fly Low GORE-TEX, and COMME des GARÇONS HOMME PLUS' three colorways of the new Sense 96. We also received early in-hand looks at the SB Dunk Low "Krampus" and five unreleased takes on the Air DT Max '96 courtesy of Deion Sanders himself. Word of two Yu-Gi-Oh! x Nike Air Max 95s possibly releasing later this year also excited sneakerheads.

The Jumpman team had two of its much-anticipated pairs previewed for the first time -- the UNDEFEATED x Air Jordan 4 and this year's Air Jordan 3 "Pure Money." Elsewhere, an on-foot preview of the OG-based Air Jordan 5 "Fire Red" popped up alongside an updated rumor noting that the Air Jordan 13 "True Red" will be returning in 2026 instead of the previously discussed "He Got Game" re-release. Footwear headlines from other brands in the space included Pharrell's adidas Jellyfish popping up in a "Triple Black" colorway unveiled by Pusha T and JJJJound presenting its own take on Plasticana's Gardana clog.

Now that you've been brought up to speed with the latest and greatest from the sneaker space, let's now dive into which 10 drops to have on your radar this week, starting with some Air Max Day launches. Once you've made your way through the list, don't forget to stop by HBX to shop styles that are available now.

.SWOOSH x Nike Air Max 1 Low Poly “Big Head Origins”

Release Date: March 26
Release Price: $160 USD
Where to Buy: SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: Nike's web3-oriented .SWOOSH platform is back with another retro gaming-inspired take on the Air Max 1 -- expanding the Air Max 1 Low Poly's lineup of launches. This "Big Head Origins" take on the shoe references Donkey Kong with its brown, red, and yellow composition that features hairy suede overlays. Special branding elements are accompanied by a thematic sockliner as .SWOOSH celebrates Air Max Day in style.

Ducks of a Feather x Nike Air Max 95/97 “Storm”

Release Date: March 26
Release Price: $250 USD
Where to Buy: GOAT
Why You Should Cop: The University of Oregon's men's and women's basketball teams may have been eliminated from March Madness, but there's still plenty for Duck fans to be excited for as the rollout of Ducks of a Feather's latest Nike project continues with the global launch of the Air Max 95/97 “Storm.” The new sneaker -- which pairs the tooling of the beloved Air Max 95 with the layered upper of the Air Max 97 -- has been covered in a color-shifting green and gold with nods to the school via subtle branding elements.

Stone Island x New Balance Made in USA 998

Release Date: March 27
Release Price: $285 USD
Where to Buy: Stone Island
Why You Should Cop: Stone Island and New Balance are back this week with yet another footwear collaboration. The duo have this time reworked the Made in USA line's 998 sneaker, bringing Stone Island's Raso Gommato fabric -- a military-origin satin weave cotton that features a polyurethane coating -- to the upper of the shoe. Stone Island's iconic badge logo is on full display at the tongue tag.

A$AP Rocky x PUMA Mostro Disccord

Release Date: March 27
Release Price: $200 USD
Where to Buy: PUMA
Why You Should Cop: Since teaming up with PUMA in late 2023, A$AP Rocky has brought new energy to the German sportswear brand. His collaborations, which have involved several footwear styles, strike a precise balance of his renowned flair and PUMA's DNA. Now, the two are back to introduce the Mostro Disccord, bringing the 1991 fastening system to Rocky's favorite archival silhouette from the sportswear brand. Arriving first in all-black, the resulting style effortlessly fuses Rocky's swagger with the throwback technology and Mostro line.

Bodega x Clarks Patchwork Wallabee 3.0 “Northeast Corridor”

Release Date: March 27
Release Price: $170 USD
Where to Buy: Bodega and Clarks
Why You Should Cop: Bodega is back with yet another collaboration with Clarks, revisiting its beloved Wallabee model with a new "Northeast Corridor" patchwork finish. The Boston-based retailer is paying homage to its New England roots by bringing together duck canvas, weathered leather, and an array of tweeds. This take on the shoe also features a boat collar that further expands on the theme as final touches are offered by co-branded tags and a custom dubrae.

GALLERY DEPT. x OTW by Vans Authentic

Release Date: March 27
Release Price: $150 USD
Where to Buy: Vans
Why You Should Cop: Josué Thomas’ GALLERY DEPT. has again put its own spin on a Vans model, this time working with the OTW by Vans team to cover the Authentic in paint splatters at the forefoot. A special gold tag with the GALLERY DEPT. wordmark is visible at the lateral midfoot while co-branding hits the sockliner and the white midsole features Thomas' “Art That Kills” motif repeated in red.

Jae Tips x Saucony Jazz 9 "I Love You But I'm Busy"

Release Date: March 28
Release Price: $150 USD
Where to Buy: Savior Worldwide
Why You Should Cop: Jae Tips is back with yet another Saucony collaboration, this time looking to the Jazz 9 as his latest canvas. This new campaign, titled "I Love You But I'm Busy," sees the runner outfitted in another color-loaded presentation featuring blue, yellow, pink, red, orange, silver, white, and black detailing throughout. Co-branding arrives at the tongue while a special sockliner and "I Love You But I'm Busy" text across the heel of the left and right shoes adds to the look.

Bad Bunny x adidas Ballerina "Bold Gold"

Release Date: March 29
Release Price: $120 USD
Where to Buy: adidas
Why You Should Cop: Bad Bunny is on a hot streak this year, sparing no time in releasing his sixth studio album, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOTos. He's back this week with another footwear project made in collaboration with adidas, presenting the all-new Ballerina silhouette. Drawing inspiration from his Puerto Rican roots, the pair blends the Three Stripes' Taekwondo model with modern detailing that includes suede overlays, golden "benito" branding above the lateral stripes, and a bungee-cord lacing system.

A Ma Maniére x Nike "For The Love"

Release Date: March 29
Release Price: $150 USD to $225 USD
Where to Buy: A Ma Maniére
Why You Should Cop: A Ma Maniére closed out its 10th anniversary celebration last year by dropping a six-shoe collection with Nike, Jordan Brand, and Converse. However, the brand is showing no signs of slowing down as it's back with Nike (and Jordan Brand) for new takes on the Air Max 95, Air Force 1 Low and Air Jordan 3 -- all of which were featured in the aforementioned 10th anniversary collection. Each pair comes equipped with sleek co-branding and tasteful color schemes that sneakerheads have grown accustomed to receiving from A Ma Maniére.

UnheardOf x adidas Adistar Cushion “Piggy Runners”

Release Date: March 29
Release Price: $185 USD
Where to Buy: UnheardOf
Why You Should Cop: UnheardOf and adidas are back again this week, this time reworking the Adistar Cushion with a new "Piggy Runners" theme that appears in a playful pink and red. While a cute pair at the surface, its message goes deeper as it encourages the wearer to embrace the things that may have resulted in you being roasted for being "different" when younger, noting that those are the traits that make you special now.

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