INTRODUCING THE NIKELAB AIR MAX 97 X RICCARDO TISCI

To mark the 20th anniversary of Nike’s Air Max sneaker, Riccardo Tisci has created his very own version of the celebrated kick. Convinced that the next big trend in fashion is honesty, the Italian designer, who effortlessly mixes sportswear and couture, is looking inward — reminiscing on all the things that sparked his imagination in the early years of his high-profile design career. “The future is about honesty. Everything people want seems to be honest, to be real,” Tisci explains. “People want honest clothes, honest shoes, honest everything. This is really what people look for, design-wise, color-wise and in fashion and in the way people dress.” His Air Max 97 comes with a distinctive street vibe, in the shape of a mid-cut silhouette in black with white outsole, contrast stitching and embossed logo. “I gave it more height, because I think it’s much more ‘street;’ it's typical of me,” says Tisci, a self-proclaimed sneaker-head. While Tisci candidly admits that he’s “getting older,” the interests of his youth still impact his design. That explains the more grown-up twist he’s given the Air Max 97, further exalting his celebrated “sportswear meets luxury” aesthetic. While maintaining the shoe’s soul in terms of shape, tooling and length, he didn’t shy away from weaving in elements of himself. “The Air Max 97 had huge influence and impact on Italian culture,” contends Tisci. “The Air Max 97 is an iconic, young shoe of the Nineties. At the time, I was involved with DJs and music, and in the clubs the people leading the big waves were wearing Air Max. That period has a lot of history. It was the first meeting of sportswear and fashion.” Tisci began his relationship with Nike in 2014, his latest effort being the NikeLab Dunk Lux Chukka x RT.