NIGO's Multi-Season Nike Journey Begins With a High-Gloss Tribute to '90s Harajuku
The Japanese icon and the Swoosh turn a new leaf, honoring vintage Tokyo street culture via lustrous, polished sneakers and archival apparel.
Summary
- NIGO and Nike kick off a multi-season Air Force 1 tour with the exclusive LO2 silhouette
- The design references an iconic 1990s magazine column and features a sleeker 2001 profile
- A matching capsule of vintage inspired apparel accompanies the patent leather footwear launch
NIGO and Nike have officially unveiled the NIGO x Nike Last Orgy 2 (LO2) Air Force 1, debuting the first of several exclusive styles on a multi-season global journey. Drawing heavily on the Japanese artist’s origins, the collaboration nods to the influential LO2 magazine column he co-authored with Nike partner Jun Takahashi in the early 1990s.
The Nike x Nigo LO2 Air Force 1 resurrects the vintage profile of the 2001 Air Force 1, complete with a narrower toe box and an athletic fit. Anchored by a glossy patent leather upper, the color palette washes the sneaker in Sail and Loyal Blue. These hues are precisely color-matched to the original storefront sign from Nigo and Takahashi’s legendary Ura-Harajuku boutique, NOWHERE. Exclusive design details elevate the silhouette throughout its construction. Custom LO2 graphics are stamped on the foxing and sock liner, while NIGO Air branding takes over traditional placements.
“As far as I know, the Air Force 1 is one of only a few silhouettes in the world that can truly be called a timeless classic,” NIGO says in a statement. “I never imagined in my dreams that one day I would be able to express my own style through the Air Force 1.”
Packaged in a special exclusive box, the footwear launches alongside a matching LO2 coaches jacket and T-shirt based on pieces the design duo created back in 1993. “The apparel collection is based on LO2 pieces we were making back in 1993,” he continued. “For people who weren’t around then, it will feel fresh and new; for those who know that era, it will evoke a sense of nostalgia.”
The NIGO x Nike LO2 Air Force 1 and apparel collection drops May 1 exclusively at the Design Museum in London to coincide with the “NIGO: From Japan With Love” exhibition, followed by a wider release on May 2 via the HUMAN MADE webstore and UNDERCOVER Aoyama.
