British-Nigerian Grime artist Skepta has announced and a brand new collaboration with Nike on a new signature Air Max 97. For those that don’t know, the Air Max has a long an storied role in the UK hip hop/ Grime scene as part of the official uniform (click here to watch this mini documentary from 2015 discussing the significance of the shoe, it’s fascinating). The shoe was inspired by Skepta’s love of Nike Air Max as well as his proclaimed home-away-from-London, Morocco. After a recent trip to Essaouira, a famous coastal city that was the destination du jour by famous rockstars during the ‘60s, provided the colours, sounds and stories that shaped the Air Max 97 Sk collaboration.
When designing the Air Max 97 Sk, we took the color palette of Morocco into consideration, but also the palette of the 1999 Air Tuned Max. That was the first shoe I ever saved up money to buy, so I wanted to bring its magic to the 97 — the magic that made me first love Air Max when I saw it as a child.
The upcoming sneaker features braided embroidery along the tongue and heel, an insole print inspired by traditional Moroccan patterns, and an original Sk logo which is a reference to the Air Max TN logo and is in the shape of a UK electrical plug.
The Nike Air Max 97 Sk is available globally starting September 2 on Nike+ SNKRS, nike.com and at select retailers.
