Nike's Air Force 1 'Street Fighter III' in Honor of EVO Moment #37 Has Resurfaced
The revival features Daigo’s 15 consecutive hits combo on the tongue label.
In honor of one of the most iconic Street Fighter III showdowns during the fighting game tournament EVO, Nike whipped up a design in the form of an Air Force 1 which has now resurfaced after being put to rest for years.
Mark Julio, EVO’s director of business development longed for a collaboration with the sportswear giant and eventually connected with Nike’s Hayden Walling in 2019. As they laid out the story — setting the EVO Moment #37 as the foundation — Julio and the Nike team agreed to further allude to the entire fight game community with the design.
The shoe showcases key elements as a nod to moves used by Daigo Umehara in his comeback against Justin Wong. His combination of 15 consecutive hits is seen on the inner tongue label of the shoe with the “Blue Void” hue mirrored from the insert, heel tab and rubber outsole. The rest of the uppers are dressed in a “White Fossil” shade with a layer of lateral Swooshes bringing together a full representation of Street Fighter III. Lace dubraes and spikey eyelets gleam from the laces as a Sea Blue hue lines the “AIR” accent on the backfoot of the midsole.
Completing the joint effort, the box reads “FINAL FINAL ROUND” while the canvas carry bag is stamped with “IT’S NEVER OVER TIL IT’S OVER” as a tribute to Wong’s comeback in Marvel vs. Capcom 2.
Due to the pandemic, the release for the shoe never came through with no new information surfacing after the product images were snapped and uploaded. While there were continuous canceled plans to officially launch the collaboration, Nike apparently released the shoe at its outlet stores without any announcement and bypassed its website and retail stores. Safe to say, Julio managed to hunt down a pair for himself as well as for Umehara and Wong just in time for EVO 2022.
Those looking to secure a pair for themselves can check out StockX, GOAT or an outlet nearby if you’re on the stateside or in Japan.
For more footwear news, take a look at the Nike Air Max 97 “Muslin/Pink Foam” constructed with premium materials.
