Ross Dwyer Ever since his original “The Ten” collaboration with Nike took the sneaker world by storm in 2017, Virgil Abloh has been firmly planted at the forefront of sneaker culture. His knack for offering fresh and striking takes on Nike silhouettes both classic and new plus his ability to generate massive amounts of hype have made him one of the most powerful figures in the industry today. Now he’s turned the heat up yet another notch with the athlete-inspired footwear he presented at his recent Off-White Nike SB 346.
Featuring world-class female track and field athletes as the models, Abloh’s show offered new takes on the Zoom Vaporfly Elite Flyprint, Nike x Ambush 16, Zoom Fly Flyknit, and two barn abstract/conceptual designs based on the Zoom Fly and Waffle Racer. Each shoe features the deconstructed aesthetic that’s made Abloh so popular, stripping the designs back to their speedy bare essentials as well as adorning them with bold Helvetica branding, sometimes printed and sometimes hand-drawn with a marker. Although each shoe was special in its own right, the Vaporfly Elite Flyprint may have very well stolen the show with its shimmering upper, large Swoosh, blue midsole, and hand-drawn embellishments. The crowd wasn’t lacking for star power either, as Paris Saint-Germain’s own Neymar showed up — rocking a pair of “Menta” Off-White Air Max 90 Swoosh Chain Ws to boot.
“Sport, like fashion, shares a common language that seeks to unite cultures, break down barriers and celebrate the power of the human spirit,” said Abloh when asked about his inspiration for the collection “This season, I was inspired by the voice of the athlete and the power of sport to impact positive and transformative change globally.” Take a look at the footwear offerings from the collection below, and stay tuned for release info as it’s available.
