Jerry Lorenzo and Nike have officially unveiled their collaborative sneaker project, the Nike Fear of God 1, alongside a complete collection of baggy, NBA-inspired garments. The shoe has been teased in a variety of ways in the past weeks, from images distributed by Lorenzo himself, to the footwear being rocked on NBA courts by PJ Tucker and others.
When discussing his Air FoG 1, Lorenzo said:
“It is a shoe that should only be judged by the emotion it gives the kid when he first sees it — however it makes him feel. We live in a day and age when images are leaked left and right, and products are leaked without consideration and emotional attachments. I’m aiming to give a visceral experience whether the kid sees it first on Ben Simmons coming into the arena or worn by his favorite athletes on court. In my youth…growing up in the ’80s and finishing high school in the ’90s, contrary to what’s happening now, it was our superstar athletes and our pro athletes that were informing the way that we wore our street clothes. These athletes, like Agassi and Jordan, were at the top of their game and what they wore didn’t compromise on design or beauty.”
Like Nike’s recent work with John Elliott and Lebron James- the Icon- the Air FoG 1 is meant to transcend sport and lifestyle- encouraging consumers to wear the same shoes on-court and in the streets. As seen below, Mid90s actor Olan Prenatt has already taken a pair for a spin in the skatepark, speaking to its versatility (cough, cough, like any shoe).
Shoe Specs: The Air FoG boot features a thick white midsole with an exposed Air unit in the heel, which reminds of the Air Max 180. A small Nike Swoosh sits in black on the upper, which looks to be constructed of a mix of canvas and leather (although some pairs in the lookbook feature a larger swoosh). A Huarache Light-inspired TPU lacing system rounds out the military look developed by Lorenzo through his FoG lines.
Final Take: This powerful silhouette evokes memories of early Yeezy designs and the Nike Air Mag. The slightly formless, military boot-concept is on-brand for Lorenzo’s FoG, with the Nike Air max 180-inspired air bubble and Nike Air Huarache lacing details that create the perfect meshing between the two collaborators. The footwear’s use in both NBA-level basketball and skateboarding speaks to the durability and quality of the materials. The accompanying garment assortment brings the entire story together, focusing on minimalist NBA logo use and baggy styling.
The most unsurprising but disappointing aspect of the shoe is the price tag. At $395, regardless of Lorenzo promoting the the shoe as ‘meant for any use imagined’, the average person cannot go out and hoop in their FoG 1’s. Unfortunately, this is the cost of exclusivity, and ensuring a collaboration of this nature is automatically successful. Let us know what your thoughts are on this new Nike model.
Below is the original lookbook video for the 6th season of Fear of God, which features the Air FoG 1 and various pieces from the collection. We look forward to December 15th, when the assortment will drop in its totality. The Air FoG 1 will release at $395, with the accompanying garments’ pricing unknown.
Kickbeast 