Turns Out, There Are More Stüssy Air Forces
No such thing as too much of a good thing, right? Stüssy and Nike are responsible for some of the best sneaker collabs of the past few years, so what's another limited edition shoe?
Thing is, these new Stüssy x Nike Air Force 1 Mid sneakers are probably not new. But they are new to you.
Observed by Highsnobiety during a trip to Our Legacy's Stockholm HQ, these previously unseen Stüssy x Nike AF1s are functionally the same as the existing Stüssy Forces that dropped in 2022 in that they're made of a woven hemp identical to the Stüssy AF1 Mid "Fossil" colorway (and the Stüssy Air Force 1 Lows, and the Nike Vandals...), feature a Stüssy-branded toe and strap, and spiffy woven Swoosh.
However, unlike the previously released Stüssy AF1 Mid shoes, this sneaker is made of an indigo-hued hemp and stitched with a contrasting beige thread that mirrors the tone worn by Stüssy's AF1 Mid in "Fossil." Curious!
Highsnobiety is in touch with Nike to determine whether these bad boys are a friends & family model, sample, or just a special well-worn pair gifted from Stüssy to its collaborative pals at Our Legacy.
It's entirely possible that these sneakers were dyed, though, as it looks awfully similar to the Stüssy x Nike AF1 Lows that were hand-treated by Californian color wizards Lookout & Wonderland. That would also align with the "Fossil"-colored stitching — perhaps these were "Fossil" AF1 Mids specially dyed as a one-off!
All I know for sure, though, is that these things are borderline nonexistent. There are no other photos of the shoes online.
They certainly do align with Stüssy's fixation on dyes, either way. Stüssy has recently been dishing all kinda crazy treatments, from garment-dyed Levi's to dip-dyed sweats. It's all good stuff and it's all made better knowing that each ensuing product is a one-of-one.
Considering the direction that Stüssy is apparently taking its Nike collabs, these AF1 Mids are a welcome reminder of the textural intrigue that made so many recent Stüssy x Nike tie-ups so tasty.
More like this, please!
