PAUSE Picks: Top Sneaker Releases of the Week

ASAP Rocky keeps PUMA’s 2024 story arc alive as the tastemaker continues to shape the culture, putting forward one of PUMA’s more experimental bits of work. It’s spiky, punk, and disruptive; and that’s just how we like it. Not much to say here, just a pair that you have to see to believe.

We get it, you’re a runner now. You run marathons. Seeming as that’s the way things are going, we thought we’d be kind to those foot of yours and put forward a comfort-centric pair coming out of on-the-rise Minted NY and the reinvigorated Saucony, who both join forces on the rapid Endorphin Speed 4. This bold block colour effort takes cobalt “Minted Blue” and spreads it across this action-ready performance shoe, with the limited-edition take on features enamel overlays, Minted branding on the tongue, heel and sock liner, as well as cutting-edge Speedroll technology and PWRRUN PB foam. Get going faster.

New Balance refuse to hit the back burner as the Boston-born heritage outfit continue to cook… on high heat. The latest 990v4 strips back the more experimental colourways of late, using a tonal cream across this Made in USA effort. The chunky dad shoe is still alive and kicking whether you like it or not.

When it gets a bit techy weather wise, you want this pair of Nike Air Max SNDR GORE-TEX sneakers in your corner. Upgrading the floundering Air Max SNDR with a new GORE-TEX upgrade, Nike are looking to get this pair going in the mainstream, and we think they’ve done a fine job here. It’s “Dark Smoke Grey/Fire Red” colour scheme keeps the vibrant touch we’ve come to love with this silhouette, and a GORE-TEX outer adds an extra hardiness we didn’t know we needed. Easy cop.

A double dose of celebrity PUMA link-ups complete this week’s sneaker round-up, with Skepta returning to PUMA with the Skope Forever Trail in “Brown.” The grime icon wasted no time in following up his sell-out Skope Forever sneaker, unveiling a surly-branded PUMA boot that mixes the comforting mesh of a traditional sneaker with the hardy nature of a hiking boot, pairing a considerable raised black midsole with brown suede overlays, metallic hiking lace locks, as well as vibrant orange laces. Get on that SK level.