Sneaker Origins: Comme des Garçons x Nike Air Foamposite One

Many collectors refer to the mid-to-late ‘90s as the “golden years” of Nike basketball shoes. From a design, performance, and marketing standpoint, the brand seemed to do no wrong. In consecutive years from 1994 through 1996, Nike released three of its most iconic basketball sneakers in the Air Max CB94, the Air Jordan 11, and the Air More Uptempo. However, as impressive as the three-year run was, the brand debuted its most groundbreaking shoe in 1997: the Air Foamposite One.

Nearly 25 years after introducing the Air Foamposite One, Nike went back to reimagine the shoe’s beetle-inspired (as in the insect, not the Volkswagen) upper, and it did so with the help of Japanese high fashion brand Comme des Garçons.

The Comme des Garçons x Nike Air Foamposite One “Black” and “White” are the subject of today’s “Origins” story.

Before diving into the Comme des Garçons Foams, let’s cover the original. The Air Foamposite One was released in ‘97 for a then-retail price of $180. The shoe’s designer, Eric Avar, had intended for Scottie Pippen to wear it. But it was ultimately Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway who became the shoe’s endorser after he saw it in Avar’s bag of samples during a meeting. It was one of those “I have to have this!” moments.

Understandably so, Penny was blown away by the Air Foamposite One because it didn’t look like any other basketball shoe in the world. Not with its liquid molded upper that allegedly cost Nike $750,000 per mold(!) to make. The shoe’s construction, which was actually inspired by a soft-yet-structured sunglasses case, blew minds when it hit the court in ‘97 on the feet of the Arizona Wildcats—namely Mike Bibby—during their NCAA championship run. Bibby and company actually debuted the beautiful “Royal” colorway before Penny did.

On the subject of the Air Foamposite One’s unique-looking upper, it’s never been modified from its original, wavy design until now. Well, that’s assuming you don’t count the time when Hardaway used a black Sharpie marker to color in the grooves on the Foamposite’s original “Royal” colorway because it conflicted with the NBA’s then-team uniform policy. But by all intents and purposes, Comme des Garçons’ Air Foamposite One is the first-ever remix of the retro basketball shoe.

Where does inspiration for the circular patterns on CDG’s Foamposite come from? Zen gardens. How CDG of CDG, right? But the modified look isn’t the only change applied to the Air Foamposite One. The shoe’s original “1-Cent” logos are replaced by “Comme des Garçons HOMME PLUS” branding on the heel.

The Air Foamposite One’s popularity has ebbed and flowed over the years, with releases like the “Royal” and “Galaxy” being highpoints. Time will tell if Comme des Garçons’ two monochromatic colorways will usher in a new wave of appreciation for the old school basketball sneaker by a new generation of collectors, but this much is certain: the brand’s avant-garde take on the Air Foamposite One is just as ahead of its time as the original shoe was 25 years ago in 1997.