Fresh off the back of some of 2017’s most hyped sneakers, Virgil Abloh continues to grow on “The Ten” collection alongside Nike. Possibly the hottest release of 2018, Michael Jordan’s first signature shoe is envisioned through the creative eyes of the Off-White designer.
Continuing in the deconstructed theme, premium leather overlays sit across a mesh crafted upper, with a sewn-on Swoosh sat at the sidewall. Revealed at Paris Fashion Week with a new ‘White’ look, patches of orange and blue threading are the only signs of colour – complemented to perfection with a blue hang tag and the signature “AIR” branding on the midsole.
It’s a name that feels like it should come with its own drum beat, “The 10: Nike Air Presto.” Virgil Abloh has proven to be an unstoppable source of hype for anything he sets his sights on. But, what happens when he decides to grace one of the most recognizable shoes ever?
The result is this recent iteration of the Nike Air Presto, now with a white colorway. Think about it for a second. The Air Presto has been a major piece of every Nike OG’s collection for a very long time now.
From its background to its more modern reputation, this isn’t exactly a so-so piece of footwear. So, as you can imagine, having the Off-White stamp of approval would only intensify this beyond recognition.
Well, most of us know this isn’t the first time the Presto has been a Virgil Abloh muse. The first time around, it was in a serene and deconstructed Black colorway. Here, its more recent edition debuts in a more muted white base.
Nonetheless, all of the Off-White trappings are still aplenty. The shoe still shows its guts a bit, boasting proudly everything that usually sits within the shoe. Never one to be sneaky about things, Abloh’s signature red zip-tie is very evident.
If nothing else, this most recent White iteration differs from its predecessor by being split into less visual parts. The first time we saw Off-White’s vision of the Presto, it came across as a canvas of deconstruction. Every little element seemed independent of the rest of the shoe – even though the design was fluent and uniform.
This White look, on the other hand, divides the visual here into two things: the shoe’s overall tone and the bold Red zip-tie. Though there’s plenty to take in from this shoe in its several finer details, the eye can’t help but pick on those two features.
Good luck getting these if you happen to miss the retail drop. Resell prices are going to make you wonder about life choices!
December 14, 2016 will go down as a black stain in the history books. To borrow a line from my man Franklin Delano Roosevelt – the undisputed GOAT of American presidents (my personal opinion of course, but I will not listen to anyone that argues the contrary) – it is “a day which will live in infamy,” not because Pearl Harbor has been attacked again, but because it marks the reissuing of the Nike Air Max 97.
This should never have been allowed to happen. Not because I have anything against the AM97 – quite the contrary, it is, alongside the Air Max 1, my favorite Nike shoe ever, and a number of my colleagues here at Highsnobiety share that sentiment. This could probably be scaled up to the wider sneakerhead community at large, and with good reason: it’s a truly great shoe. But still, it’s one that shouldn’t have been reissued.
I have a sneaking suspicions that everybody reading this will disagree with me and aim some really derogatory comments my way, so let me explain my reasoning.
It’s easy to see why the Air Max 97 is so adored: it’s an incredible piece of design, one that takes its inspiration from high-speed Japanese bullet trains. As a design school graduate myself, I was taught that this sort of outward-looking conceptualism is an essential component to truly iconic designs, and this might explain, in part, some of the sneaker’s relentless appeal.
Not only that, but the 97 is also utterly unique to the rest of the Air Max range, completely unlike the models thatpreceded it. Sure, it may be rooted in the 95, but an incredible amount of imagination has been invested into its design, and there’s nothing that feels lazy or imitative about it.
Putting over-intellectualized navel-gazing aside here for a second, it’s simply a good looking piece of footwear – much better than the recentSupreme x NikeLab Air Max 98, which is far too chunky and overly reminiscent of late ’90s skate shoes for my tastes. That’s even before you take into account Supreme’s additions of faux snakeskin and patent leather, materials too closely associated to budget stripper attire for most people’s comfort.
The Air Max 97 may look immeasurably better than what Supreme and Nike recently offered us, but that still doesn’t justify a reissue, in my opinion.
It may not be a popular stance, but it’s one that I genuinely believe in. I’d love to own a pair of AM97s myself, but ignoring its aesthetic value, the main thing that I find so enchanting about the silhouette is how perfectly it reflects the era in which it was made.
Late ’90s futurism seeps from every stitch, and its metallic finish is so similar to other great designs of the era, likeSony’s MZ-E900minidisc player. They look like they were made for one another, to match harmoniously as part of a single streamlined outfit. And this isn’t some mere coincidence, rather, it’s snapshot of a wider consciousness of the time, one that manifested itself physically in the products of that particular moment in history.
In the tail end of the ’90s people were obsessed with the future. They stood in the twilight of a century and at the dawn of a new millennium. The Y2K bug and potential electronic meltdown loomed large in the collective hive mind, breeding doomsday scenarios that were realistically a manifestation of a collective fear of the unknown, one that permeated a civilization teetering on the precipice of time.
We were entering the 2000s. Phonetically, simply reciting the date and pronouncing the word “thousand” simply felt so much weightier and more significant than plain old nineteen-ninety-whatever. It also signified a clear split from the past.
Futuristic cartoons and movies throughout the latter half of the 20th century were always inevitably set in the year two-thousand-and-something: The Jetsons live in 2062,Back to the Future IItakes place in 2015, Stanley Kubrick’sSpace Odysseyin 2001. It was the era ofFuturama,The Matrix, andTerminator 2: Judgement Day. The internet was proliferating and cell phones were accessible, music was going digital and flying cars surely weren’t far off.
All of this influenced and manifests itself in the Air Max 97’s design. The silver colorway, which mimics the appearance of metal, looks like a piece of futuristic tech. Similarly, many of Sony’s (another major influence on the dominant aesthetic of the period)productswere constructed from plastics with shiny, metal-like finishes imitativeof steel.
Futurism, when we look back at it from the actual future always looks so dated, and there’s something endearingly cliched about these designs – they look so predictably space age from where we stand now, and so unlike what the aesthetic of the future (our present) actually ended up looking like. And this is exactly why we should leave the ’97 fossilized in the late ’90s where it belongs.
Sure, I understand the appeal of vintage clothing and fashion revivalism but rarely is a piece of design so thoroughly thought through and so synchronized with its own particular moment in time. Obviously this is a huge part of the AM97’sappeal, but it’s also why it should remain sacred. I’m all for hunting down deadstock on eBay, but a reissue would cheapen it, and as we all know, exclusivity is such a huge part of a sneaker’s appeal.
I think that instead of looking backwards, we should look forwards and ask ourselves why is it that Tinker Hatfield’s recent Air Max designs pale in comparison to the 97?Last year’s iterationwas completely forgettable, and I’ve never seen it worn by anyone with a shred of dress sense.
Instead of hoping for a reissue, we should expect and demand a modern Air Max icon, one that’s as conceptually and aesthetically complete as the ’97, one that embodies the contemporary zeitgeist as much as the ’97 reflects its own – our very own classic that future generations will lust after.
The views and opinions expressed in this piece are those solely of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of Artemisyeezy as a whole.
The Nike Air Max 97 continues to celebrate it’s 20th Anniversary and now will debut in a clean yet luxurious theme. Shown is the Nike Air Max 97 ‘WhiteSnakeskin’ which will be dropping on Thursday the 29th of June 2017.
The Nike Air Max 97 WhiteSnakeskin comes in an off-White upper constructed out of synthetic python textures on the mudguard. Opting to keep some of its OG features, the shoe still comes with reflective 3M piping on the tongue and side panels. The tonal look of the shoe extends down to the branding, sole unit and laces.
The Nike Air Max 97 White Snakeskin will drop in our CPT & JHB store for the retail price of ：$119.99 Sizes: UK4,UK4.5,UK5,UK5.5,UK6, UK7, UK8, UK9, UK10, UK10.5
Showing no signs of slowing down, Virgil Abloh's Off-White x Nike wave will continue into the fall, when this new take on the Air Max 97 is set to make its way to retail.
Dubbed "Menta," the runner sports a mostly grey synthetic and mesh upper, highlighted by multicolor Swoosh branding and the familiar Off-White markings. Below sits grey full-length Max Air tooling and a translucent outsole.
UPDATE (10/17): Following news of the "Black/Cone" Off-White x Nike Air Max 97releasing this week, there is also some new information on the upcoming "Menta" colorway. As it appears right now, the grey pair with a multicolored Swoosh will be a European exclusive releasing on the Oct. 18 as well. There is currently no word on if the pair will receive a stateside release at a later date.
Off-White x Nike Air Max 97 "Menta"
Release Date: 11/10/18
Color: Off-White/Wolf Grey-White-Menta
Style #: AJ4585-101
Price: $109.99
The upcoming Off-White x Nike Blazer “Spooky Pack” is releasing just in time to serve as a reminder that the Fall season isn’t just about Olive and Flax releases. With almost clockwork precision, the start of October signals the oncoming storm of specific Autumn-themed drops. Nike, along with plenty of other brands, is already starting to roll out Fall inspired versions of some of their most recognizable models.
Here, we see a slight flip on that. After all, this part of the year is about more than the leaves changing colors. It’s also about Halloween! Celebrating the occasion is this special pack from Off-White and Nike.
Nike’s Blazer Mid takes on more of the deconstruction that Off-White’s Virgil Abloh has been so fond of. The shoe’s upper elements are flipped inside out to show what they’re made of. The result is a base that appears synthetic as opposed to its usual Canvas construction.
All of the other usual suspects from Nike x Off-White releases are here as well. The tongue is flipped and is given a more robust look thanks in part to its stitch details. The oversize lateral Swoosh branding stands out almost as though it’s separate from the rest of the shoe.
And then, we wouldn’t be able to consider this a true product of this particular collaboration without that signature zip tie. Perhaps just as essential is that recognizable script, just above that Swoosh.
The Blazer Mid model is seeping in Nike’s rich basketball heritage. It’s one of the first shoes that managed to find widespread appeal in the sport. The Blazerwas also quickly part of a footwear war on the hardwood that was just beginning to brew as it challenged alternatives such as Converse’s Chuck Taylor All-Star.
Available in a creamy Orange iteration as well as a haunting Black look, check out the latest Blazer Mid from Virgil’s The Ten when it drops on October 3rd.
For years sneakers leaning toward orthopedic was solely meant for those who get movie tickets on the cheap. Nowadays the clunkier the shoe the more en vogue. From brands like Louis Vuitton with their Arclight, Balenciagaand their Triple S, down to more street brands like Adidas. As a person with narrow feet and thinner legs I can say I don’t typically lean toward chunkier shoes. But I do love sneakers, so that’s changed everything. In today’s post I’m going to share with you how I style the Balenciagatrend. Jump in for more!
You all know how much I love tennis shoes and how I am not opposed to incorporating them into my wardrobe whenever I can. While a lot of people see these as ugly, I can say that I was pretty intrigued at first sight.
The sneaker scene has seen a myriad of changes from its inception decades ago. From classic court shoes to sporty basketball kicks, trends come and go in a cyclical fashion. But no one could really foresee this season’s most popular trend — the ugly “dad” sneaker.
Made popular in the ‘90s, this chunky oversized looking footwear is coming back in style, with models such as 2018 Triple S Grey Yellow Pink Sneakerstrailblazing the path. This marks an interesting twist on the normcore aesthetic that’s made waves in the street style scene, and it’s no surprise that brands such as Balenciagaand even old school sneaker label Fila are jumping on that bandwagon.
Balenciaga’s latest offering happens to be this past fashion week’s biggest hit on the streets. The Triple S sneaker is one chunky pair that boasts stacked soles to give the impression of three different styles layered above one another. But what makes this a star sneaker in our eyes is how it has successfully made the ugly sneaker trend a hit with its clash of colours and textures — this includes white/grey nubuck, yellow leather and a faded pink mesh. Wear it with boyfriend jeans, an asymmetrical skirt or even a pair of denim overalls, making it work is easy peasy with all the street style inspo you can glean from fashion week.Here is the link for your shopping:http://bit.ly/2P8BJtb
