Collaboration klaxon! And this one’s got the office a little hot and bovv’d – in a good way – combining, as it does, two (technically three) of our very favourite things: Virgil Abloh, Off-White and shiny new trainers. Because (rhetorical question) who does trainers better than Nike? They announced today that they will be in collaboration with Mr Abloh and his brand, Off-White, on a new 10-piece (“The Ten” – very us) selection of sneaks to come out later this year. All very exciting news – despite our 6-incher claims, those of us who aren’t Ms Neophitou are mostly found in a trainer. AND even more excitement: all has been revealed! Yes, all 10 styles – each pair reinventing one of Nike’s footwear icons.
“We were enamored with Air Jordans,” says Abloh of his yoof. “Michael Jordan was larger than life — he was Superman to me. My entire design background and ethos came from the ‘90s. By the time I made my first trip to Beaverton, I immediately wanted to make something, I didn’t wait all those years just to have meetings at Nike.” And, in what sounds like a bit of a Blue Peter moment, that’s exactly what he did – rebuilding a pair of Air Force 1s there and then using only an X-ACTO knife and permanent markers.
And so it began – Abloh cutting up and putting back together Nike’s most famed designs – from the AirMax 90 to the Blazer boot – creating a collection as he went. That collection has been divided into two categories – REVEALING, which sort of does what it says on the tin, deconstructing the designs and turning them inside out to reveal the padding beneath, or GHOSTING, where transparent fabric is placed in layers over the shoe, like a protective outer layer.
“What we’re talking about here is larger than sneakers, it’s larger than design culture,” he says. “It’s nothing short of state-of-the-art design. These 10 shoes have broken barriers in performance and style. To me, they are on the same level as a sculpture of David or the Mona Lisa. You can debate it all you want, but they mean something. And that’s what’s important.”
For the full effect, we would recommend purchasing all ten. It would be cruel not to. It’s like separating a child from it’s brothers and sisters. Start a kitty with your friends. You can wear them on time share.
The full collection including all ten silhouettes will be available in November at NikeLab stores and select retailers worldwide.
