At Virgil Abloh’s fantastic Spring Summer 2022 menswear show for Louis Vuitton, the brand’s latest hype collaboration was revealed: a partnership with Nike on Air Force 1 sneakers.
The Air Force 1, designed in 1982, remains one of the most iconic sneaker – nay, shoe – designs in the world. It might have started off as a basketball shoe, but its real cultural legacy is its importance and adoption by Black hip hop communities.
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In particular, Abloh took reference from the cover art of the 1988 album ‘It Takes Two’. On that was a picture of DJ E-Z Rock wearing a pair of Air Force 1s where the swoosh was modified with the Louis Vuitton monogram.
It was an artistic and cultural reflection of, according to a statement from Louis Vuitton, “the hip hop community’s early practice of hacking together high fashion and sportswear, side-lining diverging brands with equal reverence.”
Louis Vuitton’s contribution of savoir-faire in their collaboration with Nike: a sneaker trunk.
Thus, in a collection about creating new work using sampling, comes the Louis Vuitton take on the Nike Air Force 1. It’s done very much in the style of Abloh’s own collaborations with Nike – there are quotation marks on the laces, gentle displacement of logos and insignias, and a splicing of Vuitton iconography like the monogram and Damier Ebene check pattern together with the distinct silhouette and details of the Air Force 1.
In addition to the shoes, Louis Vuitton have also come up with a supplementary novelty item in their style: a sneaker trunk in calf leather with monogram embossing, which features a 3D tag and a white swoosh. Die-hard collectors might consider the matching case to store these sneakers – which will be available in 21 colourways – in.
Though official word on release dates and prices are not out yet, you can expect this collaboration to be limited edition and one of the most sought-after in the season when it hits retail.
Here, a look at the Louis Vuitton x Nike Air Force 1 sneakers.
