Two anime collaborations, a thirtieth-anniversary Air Max, and a Japanese label at #3.
October’s men’s chart is the most story-driven list we’ve put together this year. A Devil Fruit rendered in TPU. An eternal dragon across black leather. A scorpion that only shows its true colour under ultraviolet light. A sole moulded from a clay prototype by hand. Strip out the two Yeezy slides and the Mind 001 at the top, and almost every remaining pair is selling on the strength of what it means as much as how it looks.
The slides, for their part, aren’t going anywhere. The YS-01 ‘Black’ holds #1, and with no winter to put a slide away for in most of Novelship’s core markets, there’s no obvious reason it should move.
Here’s the ten men’s sneakers leading Novelship this October — and why each one is there.
1. Yeezy YZY YS-01 'Black'
Key Features: The Yeezy YZY YS-01 ‘Black is Ye’s post-adidas take on the Yeezy Slide, moulded from a single piece of injected EVA foam. There’s no upper, no lining, no straps and no visible branding, so sole and strap read as one sculpted form. The finish is a true triple black, noticeably darker than the adidas-era ‘Onyx’ it follows.
Why It’s Trending: it’s the easiest pair on this list to say yes to. adidas has cleared the last of its Yeezy stock, which makes the YS-01 the way to get this silhouette new. Black is the colourway that asks nothing of the rest of your outfit, so it works for the gym bag, the hotel corridor and the post-match walk to the car. It was already on our chart in the summer, at #5 on the July men’s list, and it has climbed to the top since. Yeezy sells it through yeezy.com, and JD Sports began stocking it in the US in August.
2. Nike Mind 001 'Black'
Key Features: The Nike Mind 001 ‘Black’ is a mule from Nike’s Mind Science Department, the group behind what Nike calls its first neuroscience-based footwear. The idea is 22 independent foam nodes under the foot that move like pistons as you walk, so you feel the ground more directly. Nike pitches it as a pregame shoe, something to wear before and after competition to feel calm, focused and present, not something to play in. This colourway is Black/Hyper Crimson/White/Chrome, style code HQ4307-001. Rubber pods near the toe and heel handle traction, and the knit tongue is perforated for airflow.
Why it’s trending: this is the shoe that turned a lab concept into something people set restock alerts for. Nike has said more than two million people signed up for restock alerts after the mules sold out at launch. Erling Haaland has said he tested the Mind footwear, and Nike has put Shubman Gill front and centre in its global campaign for it. The black pair is the easy one to wear around, since the nodes sit underneath and the upper stays quiet. One caveat: Nike hasn’t yet published peer-reviewed research on the effect, so treat the “mind-altering” pitch as Nike’s claim and the comfort as your own call.
3. Maison Mihara Yasuhiro Hank OG Sole Canvas Low 'Red'
Key Features: The Maison Mihara Yasuhiro Hank OG Sole Canvas Low ‘Red’ is a cotton-canvas low-top with a red upper, built on the label’s OG sole. That sole is the whole story: the brand says the designer modelled it by hand in clay, and you can see it in the rounded, slightly warped shape. Style code A05FW702-RED, from a Tokyo label that began as a shoe brand in 1996.
Why it’s trending: a red canvas low is a familiar thing. The sole is what makes you look twice, and it’s the one detail on this list you can’t fake with a colourway. A Tokyo label sits at #3 on our chart, ahead of a lot of louder names.
Sizing note: the brand publishes its own JP/US chart, which maps JP 43 to 27.5 cm and US 10. Measure against that rather than guessing from your usual sneaker size.
4. Yeezy YZY YS-01 'Cream'
Key Features: The Yeezy YZY YS-01 ‘Cream’ is the tonal counterpart to the black, with the same single-piece injected EVA build. It’s a warm off-white, closest to the adidas-era Yeezy Slide ‘Bone’ but warmer and a touch more textured. Some listings also call this colourway ‘Silver Green’, so keep that in mind if you’re searching.
Why it’s trending: it’s the YS-01 for people who want the slide to be seen. Black disappears into an outfit; cream becomes part of it, and it sits naturally with beige, stone and ecru. If you want to compare every colour side by side, the YS-01 category on Novelship lists the lot.
5. Nike Ja 3 'Valentine's Day'
Key Features: The Nike Ja 3 ‘Valentine’s Day’ is Ja Morant’s third signature shoe in a pink colourway: Pink Foam, Hyper Pink, Silt Red and Sundial, style codes HF2793-601 and HF2794-601. The mesh upper carries scratch-textured overlays and Ja’s logo on the heel, with a Sundial Swoosh outline and laces, and a champagne-toned midsole. Underneath is full-length Hybrid ZoomX foam, which Nike describes as its highest energy return, plus a translucent outsole.
Why it’s trending: the NBA season tips off on 20 October, and signature shoes tend to come back into focus when rotations start getting photographed again. On performance the Ja 3 has a real case, though some hoopers have flagged lateral stability and tongue height, so it’s worth reading up before you commit to it as your only court shoe. The Valentine’s Day colourway is the one that has crossed into everyday wear. Pink with a Sundial outline on a basketball shoe should be too much. On the Ja 3 it works. More Ja Morant colourways are in the Nike Ja category.
6. Nike Air Max 95 Big Bubble SE 'Scorpion'
Key Features: The Air Max 95 puts the 95 on an oversized visible Air unit, as a special edition for the silhouette’s 30th anniversary. The colourway is Black/Gamma Blue/Metallic Silver/Chrome, style code IM4691-001. The layered side panels mix mesh, nubuck and patent, and Gamma Blue shows up on the tongue, laces, lining and inside the Air units. It’s part of a wider scorpion theme at Nike that also covers an Air Max Plus, and you’ll find small scorpion branding near the heel.
Why it’s trending: because it’s a 95 with a reason to exist. The Gamma Blue is a nod to the blue glow scorpions give off under ultraviolet light, which gives a mostly black shoe one clear point of colour. The 95 itself was designed by Sergio Lozano, and Nike says its layers come from human anatomy: the midsole and outsole stand in for the spine, the upper panels for muscle, and the laces for ribs. A creature with an exoskeleton sits comfortably in that design language. The Big Bubble unit makes the whole thing look more aggressive. Browse more in the Nike Air Max category.
7. adidas Samba OG 'White Black Gum'
The adidas Samba OG ‘White Black Gum’ is the definitive Samba. adidas describes the shoe as born on the pitch: a low-profile silhouette with a soft leather upper, suede overlays and a gum sole, here in a Cloud White base with Core Black accents. Style code B75806. The OG stays true to its legacy, which is the point.
Why it’s trending: every other shoe on this list wants to tell you something. The Samba doesn’t have to. It’s what you reach for when you want the decision made: it goes with denim, chinos and shorts, and it never looks like it’s trying. If that’s the brief, see the full adidas Samba range
8. One Piece x Nike Air Max Plus 'Gomu Gomu' (Without Promo Card)
The One Piece x Nike Air Max Plus ‘Gomu Gomu’ (Without Promo Card) turns the Air Max Plus into the Gomu Gomu no Mi, the Devil Fruit that makes Luffy’s body rubber. Nike gave it a fully retooled upper in Space Purple, with a stamped spiral pattern that echoes the fruit, plus Purple Venom, Altitude Green and Atomic Green accents, and laces that reference the stem. Style code IR0968-500. It was released on 25 September 2026 and is the third and final shoe in Nike’s One Piece Devil Fruit trio, after the Mera Mera and Ope Ope pairs.
Why it’s trending: most anime collaborations put a character on a shoe. This one makes the shoe an object from the story, using the Air Max Plus’s own shape to do it. Access was also uneven by region: a SNKRS pre-order in the US, Japan and select European countries, a standard SNKRS drop in China, Mexico and Australia, and Exclusive Access in Korea. For buyers outside those routes, a marketplace listing can be the easier way in.
What “Without Promo Card” means: Nike paired the collection with One Piece trading cards, and a listing marked “Without Promo Card” is a pair sold without that card. Check the listing for exactly what’s in the box.
9. Nike Ja 3 'Kool Aid'
The Nike Ja 3 ‘Kool Aid’ EP is Ja Morant’s Kool-Aid collaboration, back for a second year after the Ja 2 version, and it’s deliberately mismatched. The left shoe is Pink Beam for pink lemonade, the right is Lemon Venom for lemon-lime, with Light Photo Blue and Hyper Pink accents tying the halves together and the Kool-Aid Man on the tongue. It also has full-length Hybrid ZoomX foam. This is the EP version, style code IW1160-700. (Some listings spell it ‘Cool-Aid’.)
Why it’s trending: the idea came from Ja’s mum. In his words: “my mom came up with the idea to do a Pink Lemonade and Lemon Lime colorway, and it just clicked. So yeah … Ma Dukes spoke on this one.” That kind of real backstory is rarer than it should be in signature footwear. The practical reason is the EP: Nike describes it as having an extra-durable rubber outsole for traction on outdoor courts. If you’re going to play outside in it, this is the version to pick.
10. Dragon Ball Z x Converse Chuck 70 'Shenron'
The Dragon Ball Z x Converse Chuck 70 ‘Shenron’ is the headline pair in Converse’s seven-shoe Dragon Ball Z collection, and the only one built on the Chuck 70 (the rest are Chuck Taylor All Stars). It’s a black and cyber yellow high-top, style code A21841C, with detailed artwork of Shenron running across the canvas upper. It landed on 23 July 2026 in North America and Greater China, and worldwide on 11 August.
Why it’s trending: Shenron is the payoff of the whole Dragon Ball story. Collect the seven Dragon Balls, summon the dragon, make your wish. So of course he’s the one fans want on their feet. A long green dragon over black reads as a graphic rather than a cartoon, and putting it on the Chuck 70 instead of the standard All Star gives it more weight. Converse’s other pairs are in the Converse category.
Best Men’s Sneakers October 2026: Which Pair Should You Pick?
Short version, by what you’re after:
- An easy everyday pair: the YS-01 ‘Black’ or the Samba OG.
- A shoe with a story: the Gomu Gomu Air Max Plus or the Shenron Chuck 70.
- Something to hoop in: the Ja 3 ‘Kool Aid’ EP, especially if your court is outdoors.
- Something different underfoot: the Mind 001 or the Maison Mihara Yasuhiro Hank.
Ready to pick? Shop all sneakers on Novelship, and check the latest Novelship promo codes before you check out.
FAQ's
EP versions have an extra-durable rubber outsole, which Nike says gives traction on outdoor courts. Nike lists them on regional sites such as Indonesia, the Philippines and Japan. The Ja 3 ‘Kool-Aid’ EP is style code IW1160-700, while the standard version is IW1159-700.
It’s an oversized visible Air unit. Nike’s Big Bubble versions draw on its early, ambitious visible Air concepts, and the Scorpion edition uses it to mark the 95’s 30th anniversary. The Air Max 95 was originally designed by Sergio Lozano.
It means the pair is sold without the One Piece trading card that Nike tied to the collection. The shoe is the same style (IR0968-500 for the Gomu Gomu). Check the individual listing for what comes in the box.
The Chuck 70 is Converse’s premium take, based on the early-70s update of the Chuck Taylor: thicker canvas, higher and glossier foxing, and more cushioning. The All Star is the lighter, simpler standard version. Of the seven pairs in the Dragon Ball Z collection, only the Shenron is a Chuck 70.
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