collaborations

A Cool New Way to Match Your Sneakers to Your Jeans

Photo: Courtesy of the brand

Denim label 3x1 and Nike have shared space on Soho’s trendiest block — Mercer Street — for years, and now the two are taking their relationship to the next level. Today marks the release of their first collaboration, an all-denim Air Force 1.

Photo: Courtesy of the brand

The exclusive style features three different denim colorways: stonewash, black, and raw. Just how do you get denim onto a sneaker? “We worked with renowned Japanese denim mill Kuroki to develop two extremely unique denims that feature a ‘Bowerman Orange’ selvedge ID — a nod to Bill Bowerman,” explains 3x1 founder Scott Morrison. (Bowerman was a track star and one of the original brains behind Nike.)

“The ‘Bowerman Orange’ selvedge ID runs along the entire upper sole of the shoe, which I’ve never seen done before, and the interior is entirely selvedge denim,” Morrison adds. For those who truly want to make denim down to the shoes a reality, 3x1 also created matching jeans in straight-leg styles.

Photo: Courtesy of the brand

The Air Force 1 has existed in over 1,500 iterations since its release in 1982, but this collaboration marks the first time selvage denim has been used for the full upper sole. At $130, it’s fairly affordable for a hypebeast-y sneaker. As with most highly anticipated Nike drops, the massive hype has translated into a number of sizes nearly selling out, but the style will be available for purchase on the Nike app, 3x1, and Kith. Scroll below to see all of the styles and to shop the collab.

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A Cool New Way to Match Your Sneakers to Your Jeans https://pyxis.nymag.com/v1/imgs/15e/3f0/2218118a7dd9cd253c69e1b2a999120b8f-Picture-028.jpg