Jacquemus and Nike are reuniting for a second collaboration later this year, following the French fashion house's luxed-up riff on the Air Humara released in 2022. Their latest project together is an even more tantalizing twist on the Air Max 1 86, a ground-up reinvention of the iconic running shoe that’s very much in keeping with Simon Porte Jacquemus’s playful spirit.
First glimpsed in leaked images late last year, the collaboration was officially confirmed by Jacquemus last week, and now we’ve got a clearer view of what to expect. The sneaker is set to arrive in three distinctive colorways: silver, white, and what the brand is referring to as “dark red,” though it looks closer to the eye-popping cherry of the classic red Air Force 1. All three models are decked out in suede, mesh, and leather and set off with unique Jacquemus detailing, including a miniature silver swoosh along the upper and rectangular air bubble in the midsole. It all adds up to an iteration of the Air Max 1 that’s both recognizable and entirely new.
Jacquemus has been on the rise in recent years, channeling a light, unpretentious vibe that’s been a massive hit with a younger audience. In Capri last month, Jacquemus celebrated its 15th anniversary with a buzzy runway show that felt right out of a Jean-Luc Godard movie, to the satisfaction of celebrity attendees like Gwenyth Paltrow. Making further moves into the sneaker market, at a time when top designer collaborations have never been hotter, makes perfect sense for the brand and its burgeoning image. When the collection officially drops—the exact date is still TBD, but the existence of product pages on Jacquemus’s website would point to soon—it’s all but guaranteed to be a massive hit.