Sports giant Nike continues to whet our appetites with two new drops: The Nike Air Max 270 React and ‘Athlete in Progress’ collection. The latter launches today and is yet another collaboration with Virgil Abloh, founder of Off-White.
Nike and Virgil Abloh ‘Athlete in Progress’ collection
Adding to an already extensive list of collaborations, Abloh — who’s also the current menswear artistic director for Louis Vuitton — has teamed up with Nike on the ‘Athlete in Progress’ collection. The colourful range of edgy yet stylish sneakers and apparel is a tribute to the indomitable self-belief and confidence displayed by runners.
At the forefront of this launch is 800-metre world champion Caster Semenya. The 2016 Olympic gold medalist can be seen wearing a running top and tights, as well as the Nike x Off-White Zoom Terra Kiger 5 sneakers — all from the new series — in a gritty new commercial.
The series initially made its debut at the Off-White Spring-Summer 2019 show in Paris last year. Some of the most celebrated names from the international running community were part of this launch. These included award-winning athletes such as Dina Asher Smith, Vashti Cunningham, Cecilia Yeung, English Gardner, Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Nafi Thiam, Caterine Ibarguen and Rénelle Lamote, all of whom walked the runway for Abloh.
Nike Air Max 270 React
The latest iteration of the 1987 classic combines two popular innovations – Nike’s 270 unit (the first lifestyle Air unit) and Nike React (the brand’s soft, smoothest and most resilient foam) – to form a new articulation of Air Max with enhanced comfort and response. The shoe’s upper also mirrors a traditional cut-and-sew aesthetic through a new construction methodology. The colourways launched take inspiration from the hues and geometry of Bauhaus as well as San Francisco psychedelia.
The Nike Air Max 270 React and ‘Athlete in Progress’ collection will be released on July 3rd and today respectively.
