Perfectly Faded Denim For Nike's Perfectly Outdoorsy Mule
It didn’t take long for Nike to start toying with the fabrics on its ACG Rufus mule.
Once a sought-after, rare early-2000s sneaker, Nike brought the archival slip-on shoe back from the archives last summer.
Its first return to the footwear market was a near one-to-one replica of the original ACG Rufus, keeping its textured suede body and puffy leather collar intact. But the latest Nike ACG Rufus is a different proposition.
Dressed in a denim exterior, this is what’s become known as a jeaker.
Offered in two colorways, a classic washed blue you’d expect on a perfectly worn-in pair of Levi’s along with a light purple rendition, the Nike ACG Rufus is expected to arrive in Spring 2025. And it joins the wide cohort of Nike sneakers utilizing denim.
Whether it be denim Dunks, denim Air Jordans, or denim Air Maxes, it’s clear Nike has an affinity with combining the fabric of jeans with sneakers. Even some of its new leather shoes look like denim.
Now Nike’s ACG line, an outdoor-specific subsection of the American sportswear giant’s output (ACG stands for All Conditions Gear), is joining in with Nike’s denim sneaker obsession.
However, this isn’t the diffusion line’s only recent experiment with the sturdy cotton fabric. Most notably, a few years ago Supreme released a denim Nike ACG collaboration that included a hat, jacket, and pants but fell short of offering a full head-to-toe denim uniform. Still, at least now there are denim Nike ACG sneakers to go with that collaboration.
The denim ACG Rufus was first previewed by Nike during its 2025 sneaker showcase and is expected to arrive this spring.
While its closest competitor is focused on all things hairy, Nike is doubling down on denim.
