In Paris back in 2021, Louis Vuitton revealed a wide assortment of Nike Air Force 1s, all designed by the late and beloved Virgil Abloh. Part of the Off-White founder's last efforts at the luxury Maison, the collaboration saw Bruce Kilgore's creation rebuilt from the ground up, dressed in iconic LV fabrics, patterns, and colours. Friends & Family make-ups were then shared back in February 2022 as celebrities received their pairs ahead of the monogram colourway's limited 200-piece drop through Sotheby's. The Nike Air Force 1, celebrating its 40th year, was designed in 1982 and is one of the most successful and iconic shoes ever created. On the occasion of the Louis Vuitton Men's Spring-Summer 2022 runway show, Virgil Abloh collaborated with Nike to design 47 pairs. 40 retail pairs and 7 F&F - of bespoke Air Force 1s, fusing the sneakers classic codes with the insignia and materials of Louis Vuitton in homage to the hip-hop culture that shaped him. Released June 1st 2022 exclusively to VIP LV clients who had received a call order weeks prior, the sneakers were made with materials employed in Abloh's Louis Vuitton men's collections, and styled with his signature quotation marks, echoing the written graphics Abloh often used in his work. The individual styles designed for the show were made by Louis Vuitton in its shoe manufacture in Fiesso d'Artico, Italy. The sneakers are crafted entirely in premium Italian leather, embellished with Louis Vuitton's emblematic Monogram with natural cowhide piping. A truly remarkable collaboration!
