Skepta teamed up with Nike last Summer for a limited edition sneaker collab, the Air Max 97 SK, which combined insight from the grime star’s local London scene with inspiration drawn from trips to Essaouira, Morocco.
For Skepta's second Nike collab, the Air Max 97/BW SK, he has once again drawn on inspiration from London, as well as his relationship to Paris, one of the first places he broke outside the UK.
According to Nike, five facts about Skepta's relationship to the BW and to Paris include:
1. He wanted to work with the silhouette because “Dizzee Rascal, on his first album cover, Boy in da Corner. He had a pair on.”
2. The appearance of the shoe in that image solidified its legend for Skepta. “When I was younger, Air Max was the shoe to flex in. The bigger your Air bubble — you've got a big air bubble and everyone can see that. The BWs...it's funny it's called Big Window.” Giving his version a full-legnth AM97 unit thus adds a new layer of cache.
3. Skepta considers Paris “a serious part of my whole existence” and credits fans in the city with an early embrace of his music.
4. Skepta began using the lock motif on the cover of his most recent EP, Vicious, as a nod to the iconic British punk musician of the same name.
5. The lock also signifies love. “I wanted to hang the padlock on the shoe at the side and to lock it and give it to my friends,” he says. “I remembered that's what happens in Paris. That's where you go and lock the love.”
The Skepta x Nike Air Max 97 BW, which comes dressed in white with blue and red swooshes, will first release via SNEAKRS STASH in Paris on May 14. At that time, app users who find hidden locks (replicating those used in the design) around the city will open access to purchase.
The full release of the shoe on May 19 will come through the following locations in Paris: Pigalle, The Broken Arm, Starcow, Shinzo, Acte 2, SNS and Footpatrol. Additionally, the Air Max 97/BW SK will be available digitally from SNEAKRS in Europe and SNKRS in Japan. Select retailers (including Patta, Très Bien, Concepts and more) will carry it globally.