Nike Sportswear 21 Mercer Street Store in Soho, New York
by Staff, August 18, 2008
21 Mercer Air Force 1 Lux by Nike Sportswear
A piece of Nike heritage that has transcended sport to become an icon of style, the Air Force 1 has earned its dues over the last 26 years. Seen on the feet of ballers and shot callers both on and off the court, this is one of the most celebrated shoes in sports history. Now AF1 has evolved again by becoming an essential part of Nike Sportswear’s permanent collection of eight icons that will be reinterpreted and remixed with new innovations for seasons to come.
The fine-tuning began with the 25th Anniversary AF1 celebration with premium leathers with rolled edges on the upper, flush seaming, a re-engineered leather interior, a specially shaped cuff and tongue for greater comfort, and a polished deubré, and has continued everyday since. The centerpiece of the 25th anniversary celebration was 1 Night Only, a defining moment in the history of the Air Force 1 and an unprecedented celebration where those who made the AF1 are honored by those who continue to define it. Produced exclusively for 1NO performers at this legendary New York night, a very special hand made AF1 sneaker was created to commemorate the celebration. Featuring a leather interior, premium construction, leather midsole, a custom dubrae, 1Night Only sockliner and tongue label, the shoes represented the pinnacle of craftsmanship.
These highly sought after AF1 shoes will be available to consumers for the first time in 12 different colorways, exclusively at 21 Mercer. The shoes will be made-to-order and will take four weeks to deliver.
Air Rejuven8 by Nike Sportswear
There are three phases to an athlete’s competitive cycle: training, competition, and recovery. A strong recovery enables athletes to train between contests, and in turn can directly affect the outcome of the competition. Originally launched in spring of ‘08, the Air Rejuven8 is the recovery shoe of choice for Nike athletes the world over. The Air Rejuven8 was designed to promote recovery through unparalleled comfort, breathability, and fit, creating an environment that allows the foot to rest and refresh between rounds of competition or training.
With a cage design initially inspired by a fruit net protecting and cushioning some Asian Pears at a Thanksgiving dinner, the Air Rejuven8 TZ takes subtle cues from the stadium in Beijing – a design aesthetic that allows focus to be placed on both the intricate steel cage exterior and the action taking place inside.
“The great thing about innovating at NIKE is that we have iconic heritage products to draw from,” says Pam Greene, who created the Air Rejuven8 after spending several years working on comfort concepts for NIKE.
With help from the Nike Innovation Kitchen team, and drawing from the experience of designers like Bob Mervar, who designed the Presto; Tinker Hatfield, creator of the Air Huarache; Sean McDowell, who brought the Air Kukini to the triathlon world; and Bruce Kilgore who invented the Sock Racer; Pam built upon revolutionary foundation concepts and pushed them to the next level of rejuvenating comfort and aesthetic functionality. The Zvezdockha, Nike’s innovation project with designer Marc Newson, introduced the idea of modularity to the NIKE family, and the Air Rejuven8 makes it accessible from a consumer and athletic standpoint. The Air Rejuven8 is the latest evolution and fusion of the aforementioned shoes in NIKE’s genealogy, combining great fit, breathability, and support in a design that screams serious fun.
The Air Rejuven8 will be available at 21 Mercer in five special Nike Sportswear color ways.
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