Nike Air Force 1 Shadow

Air Force 1 Shadow

The Nike Air Force 1 Shadow is covered in layered effects, giving the appearance of shadowing across the design, as almost everything that can be doubled up is. To begin with, an extra swoosh sits over the one printed on the lateral midfoot at a slightly odd angle to it, before connecting to the top of the heel patch via a box-shaped line of stitching. This swoosh is only sewn down around its front edge, and a faint band of stitches denotes where the swoosh underneath would be if it continued on the rear panel. The medial swoosh is more traditional, with a single line of thread extending around its entire perimeter, and its tail end going under the heel patch – an element that also has two layers. The usual heel panel can be seen beneath this one, with loose stitching joining it to the collar, which is behind the quarter overlay.  

Dual eyestays create further layering, but only the upper level has stitching, whereas the lower one protrudes out slightly from the lateral side and then comes in under the top layer on the medial side. These lie above a toe box that carries a series of small perforations arranged in a boxlike pattern, where the left foot mirrors the right and vice versa. Surrounding this is a pair of overlays. The lower one encircles the toe box and meets the eyestay at both ends, while the upper one emerges from the lateral eyestay, then falls away towards the midsole on the medial side. 

At the back of the Air Force 1 Shadow, an additional mudguard wraps around the lateral side of the heel, bridging the midsole and upper. The branding has been replicated as well, with extra tongue tabs, Air lettering and mirrored Nike Air text on the insole making the sneaker really stand out. 

Another notable part of the AF1 Shadow is the rear overlay that sticks up above the eyestay on the lateral midfoot. This contrasts with the medial side, where the panel continues underneath the eyestay. It has two unused eyelets at the top, behind which the low-cut collar has been padded out so that the foot is encapsulated in a soft embrace. The midsole has been raised to give the shoe a bolder, chunkier feel and filled with foam to keep it lightweight. 

The AF1’s basketball heritage remains through the outsole’s distinctive concentric circle tread. The grip patterns move out from the centre in grooves which alternate from wide and deep to narrow and shallow, producing a sequence of circles that have been doubled up. All of these pieces come together to complete the Air Force 1 Shadow – a model that has taken classic aspects of the AF1’s design and exaggerated them to create an eccentric sneaker.