The British are known for their affinity for athleisure wear, and a clean pair of trainers to complete the ‘fit.
And Boy Better Know frontman Skepta took things up a notch by designing his own Air Max 97. The British-Nigerian rapper had previously collaborated with the swoosh for his “Blacklisted” Nike Air Classic BW. But this time around his design isn’t inspired by his life across the pond, it’s a nod to his home-away-from-home, Morocco.
He found inspiration for the Air Max 97 while visiting Marrakesh.
“I found Morocco, and it was perfect. Everything I wanted to feel about peace, I found it there. I like the architecture, the pastel colors, the taxis, the way that you could just go into a small little souq, open a door and it brings you into a big, massive, beautiful new world that you never would have expected,” said Skepta on his inspirational visit.
The vibes in Marrakesh reminded him of his Nigerian Roots.
“The style reminded me of Nigeria — the way people wear such casual and practical clothing. The embroidery on the clothing makes it royal to me. They look like kings and queens, princes and princesses. I wanted to introduce embroidery to the streets, a place where people don’t feel entitled to certain things; I wanted to make us feel good, really,” Skepta remembers.
And that’s exactly what he did with the Air Max 97 Sk. Backed by a matte black base, the 97’s iconic stripes are covered in an iridescent rose gold color that fades to pink on the toe.
The color way is also directly influenced by the Air Tuned Max of the late ’90s. Skepta brings things back home with the Sk logo being in the shape of a British plug.
The Nike Air Max 97 Sk is available globally starting September 2 on Nike+ SNKRS, nike.com and at select retailers.
