Nigo’s Retro Nike Air Force Has Its Own Bling
Nigo’s latest link-up with Nike puts a new spin on its Air Force 3 Low model, making it all about hip-hop heritage.
The Nike Air Force 3 is a sleeper icon from 1988, chunkier than the Air Force 1 but originally built for the basketball court. In Nigo’s hands, this "forgotten cousin" of the AF1 becomes a love letter to a golden era of hip-hop.
Nigo’s Nike Air Force 3 Low is soaked in texture and nostalgia. The black crocodile-grain leather contrasts with the off-white overlays. On the laces, we have chunky silver chains stamped with Nike and Nigo branding, plus equally blinged-out silver heel counters.
The entire shoe looks like someone pressed a sneaker out of a 1980s Grand Master Flesh cassette.
Available now on Nike’s website for $150.00, this shoe is part of Nigo’s continued toying with the Air Force 3.
In previous releases, the legendary Japanese designer has been wrapping the shoe in slick crocodile-patterned leather and turning it into a hairy-bodied ode to Planet of the Apes. This ‘80s hip-hop-inspired drop is a continuation of the designer single-handedly bringing attention back to one of Nike’s most slept-on silhouettes.