None of this month’s hottest sneaker releases contain actual human blood, as per Lil Nas X’s line of bootleg Nikes. However, a few metaphorical drops, not to mention sweat and tears, were clearly poured into these shoes. Two new Yeezys see Mr Kanye West venturing into new realms of colour. Sacai’s update of Nike’s OG basketball shoe, the Blazer, is a slam dunk. And Casablanca’s latest take on New Balance’s modern-day classic, the 327, is confidently refined. Think monograms rather than pentagrams.

Landing in 1973, the Blazer was Nike’s first stab at a basketball shoe. The model, once worn by legendary player Mr George “the Iceman” Gervin, has, of course, long been supplanted on the court. But almost 50 years on, it has become something of an icon. The key factor is its simplicity, and the shoe has lent itself to numerous rejigs. Ms Chitose Abe’s take on the model is predictably more than worthy of the moniker, given how eye-catching it is. There’s the deconstructed then doubled-up design, sure. But what perhaps gets overlooked is the premium materials she has employed: tumbled leather, suede panelling and canvas details. The suitably low-key colourway of this particular edition allows Sacai’s trademark cut-and-paste reworking to do most of the heavy lifting, while the signature Swoosh (well, one of them) really pops in a grassy green.

It’s probably safe to say that Mr Kanye West’s life has gone through some changes of late. He’s keeping himself busy, at least. This latest iteration of the Yeezy 500 marks a return for the silhouette after a year-plus-long hiatus. Built on a ADIPRENE platform first deployed by adidas way back in the late 1990s for Mr Kobe Bryant’s signature shoe, the bulbous midsole signals a departure from other Yeezy models. But even amid its own kind, this new update stands out. Gone is the monochrome palette of West’s domestic environs, switched up for a multi-tone colourway, which goes by the handle Enflame. Get them while they’re hot.

First released in 1977 and originally known as “Style #98”, Vans’ OG Classic Slip-On was an instant hit within Southern California’s skate and BMX scene. Its cult legacy was set in stone (or, rather, stoned?) thanks to prominent placement in 1982’s Fast Times At Ridge High on the feet of slacker Jeff Spicoli (played by a fresh-faced Mr Sean Penn). The trademark checkerboard is here replaced by one of Tokyo streetwear label Wacko Maria’s own signatures: its record print, tweaked with a nod to Vans in the LP’s sticker. Canvas, meet vinyl.

There’s no mistaking who is behind the new 327, even before you get to the rather bold branding plastered across the upper quarter. By design, New Balance’s fingerprints are all over this shoe, which serves as something of a “greatest hits” of the Boston brand’s trademark details. Or more like an EDM remix album. Casablanca’s contribution has been to consistently raise this striking sneaker, with fresh (zesty, even) colours and premium materials, earning it well-dressed devotees such as Mr Timothée Chalamet. The latest edition updates the monogram pattern with a classy combination of burgundy, deep green and gold trims. Note also the banding running the length of the tongue. In all, it’s a banger that’s undergone a smooth, rarefied reworking.

“You still don’t understand what you’re dealing with, do you?” Sir Ian Holm’s Ash tells Ms Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley in Alien. “The perfect organism.” When West dropped the first iteration of his 380 model back in 2019, it’s easy to see why he looked to the stars for inspiration. The biomorphic shape and camo Primeknit upper certainly made it distinctive, but the green hue – and glow-in-the-dark rubber outsole; handy in the depths of space – is what gave the shoe its otherworldly appeal. This update once again deploys the glitchy upper with weaved overlays, but now with an extra (extraterrestrial) layer. And the midsole, as the name suggests, recast in blue. “Man, I’m telling you, I got a bad feeling about this drop,” to quote the second film, Aliens. We don’t.