Nike Air Force 1 Low x Off-White™ ‘ICA’

The golden tones used across this Nike Air Force 1 Low x Off-White™ ‘ICA’ design give it a compelling vibrancy that helps to celebrate the arrival of designer Virgil Abloh’s Figures of Speech exhibit at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. Nicknamed “Lemonade”, it has a radiant look that begins on the University Gold sole unit. This extends to the circular formations emanating out from one central point under the heel and another below the forefoot. Air lettering is embossed into the lateral side of the midsole beside another set in a bold black Helvetica font, thus drawing attention to the comfortable cushioning system within the heel.

University Gold also covers the smooth leather panels of the upper, including the forefoot mudguard, the perforated toe box, the midfoot panels and the heel overlay. The eyestay also comes in this hue, as do the laces, which thread up through its asymmetrical eyelets. These have a largely traditional appearance, but the word “Shoelaces” has been written upon them in black, adding an offbeat touch. A soft fabric tongue lies behind them, its centre devoid of any branding as the usual patch has been shifted to its lateral edge. On its surface, alongside the Nike Air branding text, the word “Off” can be seen, once again in the signature font and quotation marks of Off-White™’s Virgil Abloh. At its peak, the tongue has been opened up to reveal the foam padding inside, with the same effect appearing along the rim of the collar.

At the back, the heel strip reaches all the way from the midsole to the collar, its zigzag stitching adding a dynamic edge to the feature. Through this, a swoosh can be made out on the heel panel. Meanwhile, University Gold fills out the inside of the shoe, which has both Nike branding and the Off-White™ criss cross logo printed in black upon its insole. Metallic Silver swooshes are attached to the flanks of the sneaker via zigzag black stitching, and an orange tag sticks out from beneath the tail end of the lateral logo. On the medial side, black text announces both brands along with details like the year the first AF1 was released, though much of it is obscured by the swoosh. The final touch is provided by the University Gold zip tie that hangs from the laces – a telltale sign of Nike’s Off-White™ collaborations.