Nike’s Rodent-Inspired Air Force 1 Sneaker Beats the Rat Race
What to know
ClosetKept AI- Black leather upper with brown 'rat fur' at Swoosh and heel
- Slanted rat eyes with purple irises featured at heel
- Plum-tinted outsole adds visual contrast to black colorway
- Releasing October 2026 for $140 on Nike's website
The rats might not run this city, but the sneaker scene? Totally different story. See, we've seen the Air Force 1 find inspo in many a furry and sometimes fictional friend in the past. Shout out to the Lorax!
But this time, the Swoosh is taking things down a notch. Like the gutters of NYC, down. The " NYC Rat" Air Force 1 sneaker wears a gritty, black leather upper accented with a brown "rat fur" at the Swoosh and heel.
Now rodents don't carry the most positive connotations within the fashion sector (or anywhere else, for that matter). The black plague wasn't exactly great for the brand.
Still, Nike is embracing the city's smallest inhabitants with a sneaker that turns existing conventions on their head. There are muses everywhere for those with the eyes to see.
Speaking of eyes, Nike doubles down on the rat motifs with slanted rat eyes at the heel, complete with purple irises. These plum musings continue on the tinted outsole, adding visual contrast to the AF1's sooty, NYC coloring.
As fall makes its final descent, fur season is also encroaching, and Nike is giving us a new source of inspiration, available on Nike's website in October for $140. And just in time for Halloween, too.
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