Nike’s Air Force 1 has always adapted to whatever mood the culture is chasing, and the new Air Force 1 PRM “Black/White” shoe taps into the return of a sharper, glossier kind of punk that’s working its way back into fashion.

Not the chaotic, DIY version. The runway kind that defined the early 2010s. That energy shows up immediately in the design.

The shoe’s toebox is scattered with tiny metal studs arranged in a precise formation, giving the sneaker its edge because of how controlled the placement feels. It is a small detail, but it shifts the entire mood of a shoe that, in its base form, leans on a monochromatic, clean, and simple design language.

Inside, a quilted lining adds a boutique-level touch that works because it nods directly to Nike’s premium mid-2010s builds.

Once you see it through that lens, the references become clear.

This AF1 echoes the 2010s high-fashion punk wave resurfacing on TikTok, the sharp monochrome and sculpted leather that Hedi Slimane popularized, and the metal-heavy ready-to-wear aggression of Riccardo Tisci’s Givenchy era, including his own AF1 collaborations that used similar iconography.

Expected to arrive later this year on Nike’s website for around $140, the Air Force 1 PRM “Black/White” continues the AF1’s role as a cultural shapeshifter. 

It is a sneaker that knows how to go premium, go conceptual, or even go runway-level dramatic when the moment calls for it. This pair proves the 2010s punk runway aesthetic isn’t dead at all. It might actually be on its way back.

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