Just for Kicks

When word leaked over the blogosphere about AF1 by Maharam—a limited-edition release of Nike’s Air Force 1 basketball shoe, from 1982, in Hella Jongerius’s baroque Layers fabric—the sneakerheads got ready. More than 100 of the 500 pairs available worldwide were snapped up by the end of the New York launch party, held last month at Moss. Not to worry: Maharam Design Studio is developing two additional offerings for the sportswear giant.

By the end of the year, the partnership will produce a patterned take on Nike’s first basketball shoe, the Blazer (1973), and a truly unexpected update of the Waffle Trainer (1974). “That will be done in horsehair, cashmere felt, camel felt, and a series of Nordic hides like reindeer and elk,” says Michael Maharam, the textile company’s principal. Lest you think hair and hide too over-the-top, Maharam promises the end result will be beautiful. “It will be an austere luxury—a very high-quality material without embellishment whatsoever.”