Over the past few months, Stüssy and Nike have dropped hint after hint about their upcoming Air Force 1 Mid collab. The capsule is generous with three sneakers in total, each appearing in a distinct color variant. Now, we finally have an official release date for the first installment.
Three’s company —
The first of three Mids takes after any other of Nike’s black and white “Panda” sneakers, but proves any Stüssy project requires a closer look. It keeps branding at the ankle strap, sees the upper rendered in a lush pebbled leather, and perforates an interlocking “S” at the toebox.
For a moodier option, the second sneaker in the pack sports an all-black upper and snakeskin Swooshes. It sits on a crisp white midsole, has the same Stüssy branding at the ankle strap, and opts for a co-branded tongue tag seen on all three pairs. The third pair gets an earthy hemp “Fossil” makeover on its upper, split-stitched Swooshes, and a beige sole. It looks almost identical to their low-top Air Force 1 from 2020.
Digging up fossils —
In a partnership that has stretched over two decades, Stüssy and Nike have spruced up the Air Force 1 twice already. The first was a hemp cotton iteration, while the second added a sustainability factor by using recycled materials.
In collaborations past, the two brands have also often turned to the “Fossil” color scheme, and it’s easy to see why. The earthy light tan adds an element of understated elegance — and not to mention a hike in price. In 2020, Stussy and Nike linked up on a couple of Air Force 1 Lows, opting for the same black and beige shades on both. Though they retailed for $130, the latter of the two is reselling up to ten times its original asking price. It also falls closer in line with the highly coveted Stüssy x Nike’s Air Zoom Spiridon Cage 2 in “Fossil” from the same year, which can even be found for up to $1,600.
As announced per the Stüssy Instagram, the first drop of the Nike collab is coming at 12 p.m. ET on May 13 through the streetwear brand’s website as part of its weekly drop. Specific details about the other two pairs are still under wraps — there aren’t even official images for them yet — but given that everybody loves a good Stüssy x Nike collab, they’ll no doubt sell out in seconds, regardless.
