Nike x Nigo x j-hope Air Force 1 sneakers in burnt orange and gold
Style

Nigo and BTS’s j-hope Give Nike’s $150 Air Force 1 a Glossy Makeover

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Nigo and BTS’s j-hope are giving Nike’s 2001-style Air Force 1 a glossy orange-and-gold makeover, complete with blue accents, patterned laces and squirrel graphics. The $150 collaboration arrives October 17 through Human Made, followed by a global release October 22 on SNKRS and at select retailers.

Close-up of the Nike x Nigo x j-hope Air Force 1 tongue and laces
Image: Nike

The Burnt Sunrise and Metallic Gold leather upper is glossy; Chlorine Blue accents and squirrel graphics push it further from the plain-white pair that lives in so many closets. Patterned laces add another small interruption. Nike calls the result part of Nigo’s continuing Air Force 1 World Tour, and the design clearly belongs to that sequence rather than appearing as an isolated celebrity signature.

The most useful buying question is simple: do you want this much personality on a shoe you can otherwise wear with almost anything? At $150, it isn’t priced like a museum object, but the finish and colors make it less anonymous than a standard AF1. That is the point. We have not handled or worn this release, so comfort, fit and long-term wear remain untested.

Why the Air Force 1 Works as a Canvas

Nike’s account of its 1982 prototype says designer Bruce Kilgore initially favored mesh for breathability, but the company chose premium leather. The original AF1 was a basketball shoe and the first in that category to use Nike Air. Over time, its large, relatively simple leather panels became useful real estate for color, finish and cultural references. That history explains why this collaboration can feel distinct without changing the shoe’s basic architecture: the expression is on the surface, while the familiar Air Force 1 remains underneath.

That also sets a fair limit on the story. Nike has announced a new visual collaboration, not a new performance breakthrough. If you want an athletic upgrade, look elsewhere. If you want an AF1 whose details reward a second look, this is the more relevant conversation.

What You Need to Know

  • Price: $150 on Nike’s U.S. launch listing.
  • Release: October 22 on SNKRS and at selected retailers; an October 17 exclusive is planned through Human Made.
  • Details: Glossy Burnt Sunrise and Metallic Gold leather, blue accents, patterned laces and squirrel graphics.
  • Availability: Nike’s U.S. SNKRS listing schedules availability for October 22.

Why It’s Cool

This pair understands the AF1’s greatest trick: its recognizable shape gives a strange, joyful color scheme somewhere solid to land. Also, did we mention it has a squirrel graphic?

Sources: Nike announcement; Nike U.S. launch listing; Nike’s Air Force 1 prototype history.