The Best Sneakers Releasing in May
With the start of the WNBA season and the NBA playoffs well underway, early returns on the sneaker landscape for May are almost entirely coming up basketball.
New signature models from Kevin Durant, his 17th from Nike, and Breanna Stewart, her third form Puma are both slated to launch roughly halfway through the month. Durant will also see the first-ever retro for one of the most heralded sneakers from his career, and new two new colorways will come out of Nike’s Kobe Protro series.
On the collaboration front, LaMelo Ball will link with KidSuper through his Puma MB.03. And away from hoops, Travis Scott will add another take on the Air Jordan 1 Low, Bode’s Nike Astrorgrabber will return for a second chance at purchasing and A$AP Rocky will help revive a Puma running sneaker from 2000 that will fit in well within the wider Y2K running trend.
Below, Footwear News has charted out the best sneaker releases for May. We’ve also prepped dedicated pages Air Jordan and Nike releases in May. This post will be updated as new information becomes available.
Bode x Nike Astrograbber “Light Cream” and “Black”
Release Date: May 1
Price: $160
A second drop for Bode’s Nike debut is scheduled to go down on the Snkrs app. The Astrograbber plays it close to its root as a football turf shoe from the early ’70s while adding charms distinct to each colorway.
Nike Kobe 8 Protro “Mambacita”
Release Date: May 1
Price: $190
Nike celebrates the late Gigi Bryant’s birthday for the third year in a row with a special-edition Kobe sneaker. This year’s Kobe 8 continues the black, white and gold theme while adding a butterfly print.
New Balance 993 Made in USA “Chive” and “Purple”
Release Date: May 2
Price: $220
The latest assortment from Teddy Santis’ New Balance Made in USA line brings two vivid treatments for the beloved 993.
Adidas Samba Millenium
Release Date: May 2
Price: $150
A modernized Samba made for indoor soccer in 2009 makes its return and will test the bandwidth for terrace style.
A$AP Rocky x Puma Inhale OG
Release Date: May 3
Price: $120
A$AP Rocky is helping Puma bring back its Inhale running sneaker from 2000, and 150 pairs featuring a custom insole from the rapper will only be available through gifting.
Nike Dunk Low “Ultraman”
Release Date: May 3
Price: $135
Nike continues to bring back Dunk Lows originally released as super-rare Japan-exclusives under the Co.JP line more than 20 years ago. With an unofficial “Ultraman” nickname, this iteration from 1999 pays homage to the ’60s Japanese sci-fi character of the same name.
Air Jordan 4 “Military Blue”
Release Date: May 4
Price: $215
The second-biggest Air Jordan release of the year thus far is an Air Jordan 4 colorway that hasn’t been released in 12 years and has never returned with its “Nike Air” branding on a retro release.
Adidas Samba “Wonder Silver”
Release Date: May 4
Price: $100
The Samba gets a new colorway prime for the summer.
Nike Cortez “Forrest Gump”
Release Date: May 8
Price: $110
The shoe Jennie gave the namesake character of “Forrest Gump” makes its return to stores with a premium leather makeup.
KidSuper x Puma MB.03
Release Date: May 9
Price: $135
KidSuper proves a natural fit for LaMelo Ball’s Puma MB.03 colorway, as both have a penchant for can’t-miss graphics.
Puma Stewie 3 “Dawn in ‘Cuse”
Release Date: May 14
Price: $125
WNBA superstar Breanna Stewart’s third signature sneaker debuts in a colorway calling out her hometown of Syracuse.
Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Low “Canary Low”
Release Date: May 17
Price: $150
Following the launch of his first signature sneaker, Travis Scott returns to his favorite model for collaboration with an AJ1 Low taking on the colors of his high school.
Nike KD 17 “Sunrise”
Release Date: May 17
Price: $150
Kevin Durant’s newest signature sneaker releases a month after had been previously reported but still well shy of a year after its predecessor. With its overt inspiration from the Air Max Plus, the KD 17 could be his biggest sneaker in years.
Nike KD 4 “Weatherman”
Release Date: May 21
Price: $130
Another high-profile Durant drop sees one the most iconic sneakers of his career come back for the first time.
Nike Kobe 4 Protro “Girl Dad”
Release Date: May 31
Price: $190
The second Nike Kobe release invokes the relationship Bryant had with his four daughters through a new green suede makeup.
About the Author:
Ian Servantes is a Senior Trending News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.