Sneakers – and the companies that produce them – change and evolve to reflect the sensibilities of those who purchase them; it's always been the case. And given the globe's current thirst for exclusive drops, it certainly feels as though that evolution has been expedited in many ways.
One facet of sneaker culture that has undoubtedly benefitted from this tectonic shift has been the quality of women's-exclusive releases. In the past, it wasn't uncommon for brands to fall into the usual “shrink it and pink it” trappings. But thankfully, due to female sneaker consumers voicing their displeasures, simply giving a silhouette a low effort, “feminine” color scheme is no longer adequate.
We've (finally) entered an era where women's releases are given the same level of attention as their male counterparts – so much so that men are often vying for an opportunity to cop them as well. And that will almost certainly be the case with the upcoming Nike Dunk Low “Yellow Strike” and “Purple Pulse.”
Both colorways are built from the same tumbled leather base, which dresses the toeboxes, quarter panels, and heels in white. The crisp hue appears on both sneakers' mesh tongues and flat laces, too. Perhaps inspired by the recent “Hyper Royal” Air Jordan 1 High, both colorways feature smooth leather overlays on the mudguards, eyestays, and heels that have been given a worn-in appearance. The “Yellow Strike” pair utilizes a (you guessed it) distressed yellow tone for these areas, while the “Purple Pulse” pair is done in light purple.
From there, side panels are given suede Swoosh applications, which are done in the titular colors of each respective pair. Both releases arrive anchored to white rubber midsole units. The “Yellow Strike” colorway features rubber outsoles shellacked with gum-esque paint, while the “Purple Pulse” pair opts for muted purple in this spot.
Looking to grab a pair? The Purple Pulse is set to drop August 18th on JimmyJazz.com in women's sizing.
The Yellow Strike release date is TBA.*
