This Unreleased Louis Vuitton x Nike Air Force 1 Sample is Swathed in Green Suede

Sneaker aficionados love to talk about their “grails,” the shoes that are their North Star, the shoes they crave and dream about. Everyone’s “grail” is different and there’s no right or wrong answer for what your “grail” is, but if there was a sneaker lover dictionary, the Louis Vuitton x Nike Air Force 1 would likely be the photo accompaniment to the term. Virgil Abloh’s beautiful swan song at Louis Vuitton, the LV AF1 checks all the boxes: it’s the culmination of a tremendously influential designer’s footwear legacy, a homage to hip-hop and bootleg culture and style that was crafted by hand from the highest-quality materials. It’s also extremely rare — and very expensive. 47 different bespoke styles were crafted for the collection, and now we’ve got a look at a never-before-seen sample of the Air Force 1 Low.

Revealed by Imed Soussi, the global PR communications manager of Louis Vuitton menswear, the shoes do away with the LV AF1’s standard premium leather construction in favor of a suede-and-canvas mixture, the former done up in rich moss green and the latter in a lighter forest green. LV’s famous monogram covers the entirety of the upper, and is applied in two different fashions as it’s debossed on the suede and printed on the canvas. Completing the look are a gold foil stamp on the lateral quarter, custom laces, thick stich detailing around the Swoosh, a leather heel tab, extra-soft collar lining, white midsoles and green outsoles.

As this pair is a sample, it’ll never see a retail release. However, you can enjoy a first look at it above.

When you’re done ogling the ultra-rare sample, be sure to check out the latest installment of Sole Mates — a weekly Hypebeast series that explores the relationship between notable individuals in street culture and their favorite sneakers.