Delicate Japanese Artistry Informs the Nike Air Force 1 "Believe Daruma"

Despite a recent resurgence of customizable and updated variations of Nike‘s Air Force 1 sneaker, there’s no beating the classics. As such, The Swoosh has revived a coveted pair of kicks from 2002, breathing new life into the “I Believe” CO.JP sneaker by way of the Air Force 1 “Believe Daruma.”

Sporting a double-layered upper, the unassuming sneaker boasts an unassuming white upper with matching leather Swoosh, while “I Believe” text and a Daruma figure are printed towards the heel to symbolize new year’s luck. The red tongue tag sports matching verbiage in shades that match a tiny red located at the base of the laces.

Underneath this top layer, however, the shoe explodes with color, revealing swirling gold, red and black imagery that recalls the handpainted daruma dolls from Japanese heritage. Again nodding to the traditional craft, this base layer features Kanji characters that spell out blessings for the new year, like “Fortune.”

Beginning January 4, a raffle to buy the Nike Air Force 1 “Believe Daruma” for ¥11,000 JPY (approximately $106 USD) launches on atmos’ web store where you can also vote for your favorite accompanying artwork.

The ever-popular Air Force 1 was recently the subject of Loso and Steven Harrington’s editions of HYPEBEAST‘s Sole Mates.