Since news first leaked last year about the French fashion designer’s efforts to redesign the Nike Air Max 1, sneakerheads worldwide have been eagerly awaiting release dates and updates about the Jacquemus x Nike Air Max 1 ’86. The designer recently took to Instagram to share a valuable update on his story, hinting not only at a release date but also dropping some first-look images.
Nike first launched the stunning Air Max 1 ’86 in 1986 (as the name would suggest), and fans were delighted by the release. Unfortunately, the delight was short-lived, as the defining feature, the more extensive outsole with a massive window into the Air unit in the heel, caused some structural issues to the sneakers, causing the outsole to crack. Luckily, the issues have been ironed out, and the silhouette will return.
Back in January of this year, rumours about Jacquemus’ reimagined Nike Air Max 1 ’86 started to resurface, hinting that the pair would be available in two different colours, fitting perfectly with his history of releasing two gorgeous pairs when working with the Swoosh brand. The two that the visionary fashion designer will release this year are a White colourway and a Metallic Silver colourway.
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For both colourways, Jacuemus has made some sleek and sophisticated alterations to the classic silhouette to give it an edgier and more fashionable design, namely streamlining some of the overlays for a more minimal look, incorporating a quilted sock liner and changing up the shape of the toe box to give the sneakers a slightly more formal feel.
While the large rectangular Air Bubble still features on the lateral side of the sneakers, the medial side has been edited to include a tiny square on one side and a small circle on the other. This may be the solution to fixing the structural issue, and Jacquemus has put his own little twist on it.
The White colourway combines shades of white with Sail and textures of smooth, perforated leather on the upper with a Sail suede mudguard for a sophisticated look. A tiny Metallic Silver Nike Swoosh features on the midfoot, matching the silver hardware embedded in the uppermost lace stays.
The Metallic Silver pair has swapped out many of the white elements of the sneaker either for black or the eponymous shade, as well as wholly altered the materials used for the upper of the sneakers. The outsole and midsole are pitch black, while the upper has replaced the suede of the white pair with shiny metallic silver patent leather and the smooth leather of the upper with a silvery mesh that almost looks like wire or chainmail.
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Both pairs feature the Jacquemus name on the spine of the sneakers and printed on the insole, along with a custom co-branded puffy hangtag to drive the collaboration home.
While only a little information about a release date has been shared, Jacquemus has hinted that his collaboration with Nike Air Max 1 ’86 will be available sometime in June, just ahead of the Paris Olympics. The timing couldn’t be more perfect.
Are you keen to add the Jacquemus x Nike Air Max 1 ’86 to your collection this June, or are you just happy to see the silhouette in rotation again?
