The release of the Nike x Tiffany & Co. Air Force 1, one of the most high-profile collabs of the year, is right around the corner. With this in mind, we thought we’d take a look at some of the biggest luxury sneaker collabs, to see how streetwear hype meets high fashion.
Dior x Air Jordan
The collaboration between Air Jordan and Dior wasn’t that long ago, but it was unlike anything seen before, being Air Jordan’s first luxury collab. This project was spearheaded by Dior Homme creative director and avid AJ1 collector, Kim Jones. The mission statement was to preserve the authenticity and storytelling of the staple silhouette but with Dior’s luxury craftsmanship.
Dior dropped high and low versions of the ‘Air Dior’. The handcrafted Italian uppers came in Dior grey, complete with an embroidered monogram on the Swooshes. Both models sold at around €2,000. This meant that at retail, they were the most expensive Jordans of all time.
Prada x adidas
Next up was Prada, who were similarly tasked with remaking a classic streetwear silhouette with a designer standard. In 2020, they released their own Made in Italy pairs of the adidas Superstar, adorned with the Prada logo on the sides. The duo then followed this up in 2022, releasing a similar take on the adidas Forum. However these pairs were made with partly recycled material, and featured a unique removable pouch on the front.
Balenciaga x adidas
On the more avant garde side of things, adidas also linked up with Balenciaga in the summer of 2022. The collection consisted of classic adidas sportswear, elevated with Balanenciaga’s signature edgy futuristic touch. For this collab, Balenciaga applied adidas iconography to its own sneaker models. Their Triple S model came dressed in the Three Stripes, while their Speed Trainers were styled to resemble a pair of adidas socks.
Louis Vuitton x Nike
Louis Vuitton already had a mutual friendship with Nike through their creative director, the late legend himself, Virgil Abloh. When it finally came time for the two giants to collaborate, it was done through Abloh’s eye. The Louis Vuitton Air Force 1s feature Abloh’s signature Helvetica touches, with LV branding printed throughout the canvas and leather uppers. These pairs were very limited, and as you may have guessed, expensive. Sotheby’s even went on to auction a number of pairs, raising $25.3 million for The Virgil Abloh “Post-Modern” Scholarship Fund.
Gucci x adidas
Alessandro Michele, former creative director of Gucci, had always been a fan of retro sportswear and geek chic aesthetics. Last year this love was on full display in a collaboration which allowed Michele to dig through adidas’ 70s archive. This collaboration came in the form of everything from tracksuits to dresses and luxury bags.
For sneakerheads, the star of the show was Gucci’s take on adidas’ terrace classic, the Gazelle. Based on the Indoor version of the silhouette, these Italian crafted Gucci Gazelles came in luxurious leather and suede uppers in a range of colours, as well as a unique canvas pair covered in the famous double G logo.
Tiffany & Co. x Nike
Here we are, the Tiffany Air Force 1, dubbed the ‘1837’ after the year Tiffany was founded. The marketing refers to this as “a legendary pair”, which makes sense given this level of prestige on Nike’s biggest silhouette. But there’s also some unofficial history behind this pair, namely the coveted Diamond Supply Co. Dunks which took inspiration from Tiffany’s famous shade of Robin Egg blue.
This official Tiffany pair features that iconic shade of blue on its leather Swooshes, sitting in contrast to the black suede upper. The shoes also come with a blue set of laces, as well as a yellow set referencing the Tiffany Yellow Diamond. Finally, on the back of the heel, you can find an emblem made with Tiffany standard sterling silver.
The Nike x Tiffany & Co. Air Force 1 is available now on KLEKT, along with a range of luxurious sneaker collabs
