PAUSE Picks: Top Sneaker Releases of the Week

Bringing in that luxury heat for this week’s line-up, adidas and Gucci have joined forces once again as they unveil yet another colourway of the infamous adidas Gazelle sneaker. Releasing in arguably the most classic colourway of them all, the pair boast the typical low-lying shape of a traditional Gazelle and incorporate the iconic red and green house colours of Gucci, with additional features including a standout gum sole, a beige suede toe box and eye stays, gold trefoil hits on the midfoot, heel and tongue, as well as customary adidas and Gucci branding. You can’t go wrong.

Providing a left-of-centre choice for love of the great outdoors, Norse Projects have put forward their ARKTISK footwear program, which includes a range of stellar utilitarian pairs. A standout from the range is the Zip Up Runner in a grey colourway, with this comfort-centric pair boasting a tonal grey colour palette across the entirety of the upper and midsole, a robust PU leather outsole for everyday outdoor activities, a stow-away pocket, a rear pull tab, a zipped closure system, as well as an OrthoLite insole for long-lasting cushioning. Running, walking or climbing this autumn? Norse Projects have your back.

Having previously released in two other ‘White’ and ‘Black’ colourways, the NOCTA x Nike Hot Step Air Terra sneaker returns for another dose, with this iteration bringing a splash of colour in as it arrives in a ‘Black/Gold’ colourway. Being the duo’s most popular collaboration yet, this pair keep to the original script as the pair boast a predominantly black colour scheme whilst incorporating touches of vibrance through the rich gold accents on the heel, eyelets, and miniature Nike branding, with the standout pair also rocking a mixture of premium pebbled leather and G-TEK traction technology for added utility.

Finally dropping his long-awaited edition of the infamous Air Jordan 2, J Balvin has put forward a stellar edition in his growing Nike catalogue. Dropping alongside a host of matching garments, this iteration of the Air Jordan 2 picks up where his previous take on the Air Jordan 1 left off, incorporating a bright and dreamy aesthetic for this sky blue pair. The all-blue sky and cloud adorned pair features tonal blue across the rest of the upper, whilst other standouts include a quilted finish and a gridded design, a white midsole, a perforated toe box, collaborative J Balvin smiley face and Nike branding on the rear heel, as well as a silky cloud-graphic sock lining. This is most certainly a ‘treat yourself’ moment.

Modernity arrives as we close out this week’s round-up with the latest footwear release from Swedish brand Axel Arigato, with the popular streetwear brand putting forward their striking Pyro Runner. Arriving in a standout green colourway, the mid top pair boasts a light textured shape and is partially composed from bio-based EVA, with additional features including visible fluid lines and perforations that add a distantly unique shape and extra breathability, a slip-on mould, as well as debossed ‘ARIGATO’ lettering on the rear panelling. A conversation starter to say the least.