25 Sneakers We're Looking Forward to This Summer

Image via Complex Original

Release: August

Inspired by a World War II fighter plane, the Air Jordan V will retro this summer in the classic "Fire Red" colorway. White takes hold of the majority of the upper, leaving the Fire Red liner and midsole to accent the silhouette. I think summer just caught fire!

Release: May

Better known as the Kobe 8 "Playoffs", Nike Basketball is starting to make some headway with the Engineered Mesh upper on the performance sneaker. Taking the heel counter by storm, the Court Purple slowly transitions to a lighter version of itself at the toe. Pure Platinum helps the Nike Swoosh pop on the side panel and shows out on the outsole.

Release: May

Hyperfuse and the Nike Air Max Uptempo meet for some summer lovin' on the Nike Air Max Uptempo Fuse 360. Rocking a mix of Pure Platinum and Sport Turquoise on the upper, the model sits on an Air Max unit in case you want to give the shoe a go on the field or on the court. You should check for the model to drop in a Black/Pink Force colorway as well.

Release: July

Many doubted the Lakers would make it to the playoffs, but that all proved to be a mistake in hindsight. Despite this small slip up, we will not hold it against you if you decided to pick up the adidas Originals ZX 700. The Laker colors extend from the toe to the heel, and the white outsole keeps the silhouette clean. Look for these to make a royal appearance in July.

Release: May

The Nike Air Max 95 is a big favorite with sneakerheads and now that Nike Sporstwear has added the enginerred mesh upper, it is easy to fall in love with the silhouette again. This summer, the old school runner with arrive in a mostly white upper with blackend blue updates at the toe, heel, and over the liner. To give it some pop, Nike will be using Total Crimson at the toe and beach on the lace stays.

Release: May

Ruled by purple and emerald accents, the Air Jordan V "Grape" is a favorite of many sneakerheads. The white upper and the translucent icy outsole are a stunning combination and Jordan Brand is giving us a chance to get our hands on another pair in a few weeks.

Release: May

Set to release in at least three colorways this summer, Jordan Brand bridges the training gap with the Jordan Dominate Pro. Featuring the Flight Plate found in the Air Jordan XX8, the model should have many of the performance attributes we have come to expect from the brand. Take the summer full-on and lets get an early start on next season. 

Release: July

The Air Jordan IV was the recepient of a few colorways in 2012, and Jordan Brand is keeping that love alive with a new Fire Red colorway set to launch this Summer. The Fire Red nubuck upper is contrasted with black laces and wings. Cement Grey is used on the eyelets and also makes an appearance over the liner and midsole. July is going to be crazy!

Release: May

The baseball diamond doesn't get the love that it used to when it comes to sneakers, but Nike Sportswear is coming through for us with the Nike Air Max 360 Diamond Griff. As the name suggest, the model is inspired by none other than Ken Griffey Jr, though this version is built for those hits you make off the field.

Release: June

Due to his injury, Kobe will not be activated for the playoffs this year, however, you can still play in his shoes come June. The Nike Kobe 8 Elite+ will officially hit retailers this summer, a little later than the Elite+ versions for Kevin Durant and LeBron James, which dropped this past weekend.

Release: July

adidas Originals reaches into their back catalog of runners to give us a preview of a new release for Summer 2013. The model stays slim on the color options, but style is passed on through a mix of mesh, leather, and suede. Maybe its the hits of red, or maybe its the Bluebird underlays, either way, adidas Originals ZX 750 is quite remarkable.

Release: Summer

Blurry images aside, we have to admit we are anticipating the release of the Air Jordan XX8 Lite. By removing the shroud, we hope it ends some of the unecessary hatred being spewed at the shoe and people focus on the shoe's amazing performance.

Release: May

New York fans had to say goodbye to Revis yesterday, but they can still rock his kicks when the Nike Zoom Revis drops in "Photo Blue" next month. Photo Blue takes the dominant role on the upper, though, various shades of blue makes appearances over the Flywire, liner, and outsole.

Release: June

Basketball is going to be pretty crazy this summer. Word on the street is the Drew League in Los Angeles is going to be on fire. For those that want to play in one of the best shoes to date, Nike will be hitting us with the LeBron X P.S. Elite in a mix of Crimson and Fiberglass that will catch the eye of anyone walking by.

Release: June

It is hard to believe that it has been 20 years since Mike's first 3-peat, but calendar don't lie. To celebrate the event, Jordan Brand will bring back the "Away" colorway of the Air Jordan VIII in June. The signature all-black upper and fuzzy tongue should be hitting all your normal retailers — unless Marvin the Martian hijacks the shipment.

Release: Summer

Playing in lowcut sneakers isn't as big of a deal as it used to be, but when that shoe is the LeBron X Low, all of that changes. Packing Flywire and a full 360-basketball specific Air Max unit, the LeBron X Low is not only stylish, it is also built to perform. Dressed in the popular Red/White colorway, you can look for this model to drop this summer.

Release: September

The Reebok Pump Omni Lite was made famous by Dee Brown, and this casual take on the famous sneaker can be yours come September. Brown suede on the upper mixes with purple accents creating an uncommonly dark look for summer. However, the addition of red stitching and the grey outsole make this a great choice for the Summer/Fall transition.

Release: May

Reebok Questions have been steadily available for the last few months but Reebok is bringing them back in a new way. Three tonal colorways in red, blue and black, are wrapped in canvas to give the classic AI model new life this summer.

Release: May

Debuted during March Madness, the adidas Crazyquick is next in line when it comes to performance wear from adidas basketball. The sneaker is going to hit in five colorways when it releases and considering its new flexible rubber outsole, the basketball category is ready for an update.

Release: Summer

Nike Foamposites have been on everyone's watch list over the past few years so it's no surprise when the "Total Crimson/Black-Cool Grey" color combination rumors began to swirl, people took note. No release date and no pics, but the thirst for these is already real. 

Release: August

If you are one of the people that want Jordan Brand to give you some new colorways on their retro kicks, the new Air Jordan IV in Dark Grey/Green Glow-Cement Grey should be right up your alley. Dark Grey on the upper is met by black mesh and laces, while the star of the show, Green Glow, is used on the eyelets, outsole, and liner. 

Release: May

Charles Barkley spends his current days behind a desk talking about basketball and on golf courses showcasing the worst swing we have ever seen. However, thanks to the talents of Nike designer Marc Dolce, his basketball legacy will live on through the Nike Barkley Posite Max. Not to mention there are two other colorways waiting in the wings. 

Release: July

Reebok Classics has been digging into their archives heavy the past few yearsm bringing us fresh looks at some retro releases. Fresh off the release of the Shaq Attaq, we have to get ourselves ready for the return of the Reebok Shaqnosis. The unique upper design — and equally unique name — make this an easy addition to the summer bucket list.

Release: May

Are you ready to take Flight? Well if you are, the Nike Zoom Hyperflight PRM is looking to extend its reign with a new look for the summer. Recently tied to "superheroes" Kobe, LeBron, and KD, the model strikes out on its own for summer and we have no qualms about it.

Release: May

Technically, it's the one that started it all. The Air Jordan 1 will always hold a place as the first Air Jordan, and the company is giving us a retro of the sneaker with the original "Nike Air" branding on the tongue. Often called the "Black Toe," we're sure this one will be causing quite a fuss in the coming weeks.