Nike will release the Nike Air Max 1 atmos Elephant (16,000 yen) on March 18th at Sports Lab by atmos, MITA SNEAKERS, the official website, and select Nike retailers.
In the early 2000s, creators from around the world were given the opportunity to reimagine the Nike Air Max, and in collaboration with shops around the world, including atmos in Tokyo, the Air Max 1 was redesigned entirely. One of the most memorable products was a premium style designed by atmos in 2007. Atmos, famous for the two Air Max 1 designs released four years earlier, layered the elephant print of the Air Jordan III over a basic black and white suede and leather upper and featured a pale green Swoosh. This model was voted the most anticipated shoe for AIR MAX DAY 2016 by people around the world, and now it's finally being reissued. Atmos Director and Creative Director Yasufumi Kojima spoke about this item and his strong feelings toward Air Max culture and Jordan, saying, "The Air Max series played an important role in sparking my interest in sneakers. The Air Max 1, in particular, is a memorable first in the series. I believe it's an indispensable, historic shoe that will be talked about for both atmos and sneaker culture." He also explained the background of the project, saying, "I think I was talking with the people in charge at Nike Japan at the time about creating something crazy and silly that would have an impact on the market. I happened to have a pair of Nike vintage Zebra print kids' shoes on hand, and we decided to use that as a base to create an animal print shoe with a zoo concept."
Furthermore, when asked his thoughts after completing the design, he commented, "I think it's 100% complete (laughs). If I had to say, I think it would have been better if the jade material on the swoosh had been premium leather instead of patent leather." Regarding his feelings upon being selected, he said, "Of course I'm happy, and as someone who makes a living from sneakers, it's the greatest honor I could ever have. To be honest, I didn't really realize how amazing it was, but the messages of congratulations I received from my staff and friends, even more than myself, made it sink in."
In addition, to celebrate the connection between Yasufumi Kojima's creations and the iconic Air Jordan 3, the limited-edition "atmos Air Jordan Air Max Pack" (¥50,000) will be released on March 18th at select stores worldwide (exclusively atmos in Japan). The pack includes the Nike Air Max 1 atmos Elephant, featuring the famous Air Jordan 3 and Jumpman logo.
