As we step between autumn and winter, you can see two clear paths that sneaker colourways are taking. And – OK, this might feel like an allegorical jump, but go with us – we have chosen here to ascribe both camps to an animated feature franchise. The first, which we’ll align with FernGully: The Last Rainforest, the ecologically minded 1992 film featuring the voices of Messrs Tim Curry, Christian Slater and Robin Williams. Think earthy browns and greens, an environmental theme and a vaguely nostalgic bent. The second we’ll call Frozen after Disney’s recent fairy-tale juggernaut and here we’re talking snow-queen whites and blues with contrast accents. Either way, you wouldn’t want to let them go.

If this year’s Enflame incarnation was a bit much for you, this latest edition of Mr Kanye West’s 500 line is far more muted. In fact, for a shoe with a cumulous-like silhouette, the majority of its colour schemes have proved to be fairly down to Earth. The Clay Brown version the case in point, grounding that bulbous ADIPRENE midsole with a rich, autumnal hue. To our mind, the organic shape and interplay of mesh, suede and rubber works especially well in this particular shade.

Yes, two Xs in the name, in keeping with the trademark motif of American graphic designer Mr Brian Donnelly, better known as KAWS. The artist’s work plays with popular culture, typically cartoon characters, but here Nike’s 1970s basketball sneaker makes for a fitting canvas. Only the third model released under the name Nike, more than anything the Blazer was, back then, a walking (well, running) logo for the newly minted brand. Sacai’s take on the shoe turned a simple silhouette into what could best be described as a glitch in the Matrix. The KAWS edition comes with “XX” branding on the tongue tags, midsoles and insoles, and slots into Ms Chitose Abe’s AW21 “Wearable Art” collection.

Supposedly, the moniker for the colourway is a crunchy truncation of “Faded Azure/Azul”. But we’d like to think that it’s also a linguistic nod to Zissou, as in Steve, the creation of Mr Wes Anderson, memorably played by Mr Bill Murray in 2004’s The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou. (Perhaps it’s not so fanciful; adidas provided footwear for Team Zissou, after all.) It is, however, an aptly marine theme, with various shades of sea blue drawing out the suede and mesh panelling of this shoe. Meanwhile, a punchy orange adds interest to the 700’s already pretty interesting Boost midsole.

Hot on the heels of the anniversary ACG Air Mowabb in the OG Rattan Birch colourway comes this edition, in Trail End Brown, Pitch and Prism Violet, a palette also from the class of 1991. Mr Tinker Hatfield’s original design has been, ahem, tinkered with in the years since, with the introduction of the Huarache logo on the neoprene sock and Swoosh towards the toebox. For a deep dive into the evolution of this iconic outdoor shoe, read our recent story in The Journal.