Nike Air Force 1 Mid x Comme Des Garçons

The mostly monochromatic appearance of this Nike Air Force 1 Mid x Comme Des Garçons collaboration is combined with rebellious design elements for a look that is both classic and alternative at the same time. One of its familiar features is the Air-cushioned sole unit. Here, it is completely white, with circular grooves emanating out from two central discs in the forefoot and heel of the outsole. At the edges of this feature, star formations and lugs create a varied aesthetic, while embossed Air lettering appears just above it on the lateral side of the midsole.

Premium leather covers the upper, its white hue matching that of the sole to forge a reassuring uniformity across the sneaker. Although the traditional look of the AF1 has been maintained through the intricately stitched lines that form recognisable patterns over the outer, each panel has been enlarged past these borders to give the shoe its own individuality. These extended parts have irregular edges that are marked by various curves and jagged points.

The lack of any perforations, either in the toe box or the midfoot panels, is another strong departure from similar shoes, though the strap that wraps around the front of the collar remains to provide support over the ankle. It has black Comme Des Garçons branding on the lateral side where its end fastens onto the Velcro patch that has been positioned there. Below this, another intriguing aspect of this design is clear to see – a gap between the strap and the swoosh where the upper has been cut away. On the heel panel, things are a bit more conventional as Nike Air text has been pressed onto its surface in black. Additional branding effects lie across the white insole in the form of a black swoosh beside the Comme Des Garçons name, thus bringing a final piece of color variation to this offbeat sneaker.