The Nike x Louis Vuitton collaboration includes 21 new colors for iconic sneakers designed by Louis Vuitton creative director Virgil Abloh.
The shoes are part of the French luxury brand’s spring/summer 2022 menswear collection, which was exposed through a film called “Amen Break”. According to the description of the series, the new Air Force 1 design combines “the coach’s classic code with the Louis Vuitton logo and materials, paying tribute to the hip-hop culture that shaped him.”On the catwalk, models wore monochrome versions of Nike x Louis Vuitton sneakers, which were bright green, yellow, red and blue-all the colors released before Air Force 1s. However, in the cooperation, the logo of the sneakers is the combination of the leather Swoosh logo and the Louis Vuitton monogram on the upper, and the words “AIR” and “LACET” in Abloh’s iconic quotations. The tongue of the sneaker also carries the joint label of Nike and Louis Vuitton.
More experiments with sneakers have been conducted elsewhere in the series. The two pairs of multi-color shoes are mainly yellow, green and blue, and the toe and upper are made of reflective monogram materials. The Swoosh logo on both sides is also outlined with contrasting zigzag stitching.The other pair is made of cream and brown leather, similar to Louis Vuitton’s famous suitcase, decorated with the brand’s Damier checkerboard pattern. It uses a thick black sole, also marked “AIR”. The other style is kept simple, the white vamp is embossed with the LV monogram, and the side is marked “LOUIS VUITTON for NIKE”.
As part of the collaboration, Abloh also designed a special sneaker trunk to match the shoes. It is made of bright orange embossed calfskin with a white Swoosh label attached to the handle.This is not the first time Abloh has remixed Nike’s beloved sneakers. The Off-White designer first collaborated with the sportswear giant in 2017 to redesign a series of Nike sneakers for his “The Ten” series. Since then, he has been an ongoing collaborator, creating the best-selling sneakers with his design signatures (such as zipper tags and quoted keywords). His most recent project is the Nike x Off-White “Dear Summer” series, which introduces the former Dunk Low sneakers in 50 new colors.This is Abloh’s first collaboration with Nike through Louis Vuitton, and he was appointed as Men’s Artistic Director in 2018. This also marks that the French luxury fashion brand is still hyping up its cooperation with Supreme in 2017 when it sold out.
Louis Vuitton has not disclosed more details of its new series of Air Force 1 sneakers, including price and release date, but it may be as important as Dior’s collaboration with the Nike Jordan brand last year. Be sure to watch this space to stay updated.