Nike’s seemingly endless stream of animal print Air Force 1s is gaining yet another new style in its current lineup, this time with one of the Beaverton, Ore.-based company’s own creations: safari print.
Arriving right on time for the back stretch of fall weather, the upcoming Nike Air Force 1 Low ’07 Safari features a full colorway of Desert Khaki/Summit White/Metallic Silver/Black and puts the brand’s safari print pattern on center stage.
The spotted safari print pops up on the Air Force 1’s toe, eyestay and heel panels while also making an appearance on the insole’s Swoosh logo. This is offset by a Desert Khaki nubuck base, which helps to ground the otherwise ostentatious look while also adding an autumnal tone.
Far from the first Air Force 1 to be graced with the brand’s original print, Nike has released various Safari versions of the model over the years dating back to 2008. This year alone, the brand dropped a Safari Pack including White/Kumquat/Grey Fog/White and Black/Tough Red/Dark Smoke Grey/Black styles which were first released as Japanese exclusives.
Rather than directly borrowing the print of a specific animal, Nike’s safari print was loosely informed by ostrich leather after designer Tinker Hatfield found inspiration in a couch at a New York City furniture store. The first shoe to sport the pattern was 1987’s aptly named Air Safari, an ahead-of-its-time Nike model which leaned more style-forward than the brand’s predominantly performance-based output of the era.
The latest Nike Air Force 1 Low ’07 Safari is scheduled to be released in November from nike.com and select Nike Sportswear retailers for $125. The sneaker’s style code is IX4837-253.