Nike's Weirdly Cool Sneaker-Sandals Are Back with a Girlcore Vengeance
Nike's Air Rift sneaker is back and ready to land a plié.
In case you missed it, Nike announced plans to revive the Air Rift, its weirdly cool sneaker-sandal from the 1990s. Earlier this year, Nike previewed some new creamy leather and fuzzy suede iterations, but it seems the label saved its best (and cutest) Air Rift as a surprise.
A full-on pink paint job takes over the Nike Air Rift, covering the breathable sneaker from its slightly chunked-up heels to its split tabi toe.
Like the recent satin Cortez, Nike's Air Rift slips into something more silky for its upper material, ditching its traditional mesh uppers.
Finally, the Nike shoe gets laced up in satin ribbons, going for a genuine ballet shoe vibe (but Nike style).
Nike's latest Air Rift shoe undoubtedly advances the "girlification" of sneakers, more specifically, the category of ballerina-style sneakers where Sandy Liang Salomons and Mary Jane ASICS thrive.
Nike's ribboned Air Rift shoes are expected to drop towards the end of 2024, joining a rather diverse lineup of Air Rifts for the holiday season.
In other words, the tabi-loving girls — ballerinas, too — will be well-fed later this year.
