Dutch artist Piet Parra has created several of the most coveted Air Max 1 collaborations in history (remember the 2005 Parra Air Max 1 ‘Amsterdam’?). Now, he’s back with a new collaborative Nike project and he’s asking “How could I do something that has not already been done?”
To create Parra’s latest takes on the Air Max 1 and Zoom Spiridon, Piet Parra asked questions like “Who is today’s audience?”; “What risks could be taken?”; and “How does one balance the interests of multi-generational sneaker enthusiasts?” It’s been nearly a decade since his last Nike collaboration dropped.
“There are two people who sit on your shoulder and watch what you’re doing all the time. One says, ‘The collector is going to like this,'” Parra explained in a statement. “And then the opposite, which queries: ‘How does somebody who is 17 or 18 years old — with no idea about what I did before — how are they going to look at this?'”
Parra’s last project with Nike released in 2009, and since then, his work has shifted from typographical humor to abstract compositions, according to Nike. His first projects with Nike were known as the City Packs, and according to the brand, this latest collaboration is a revival of that spirit.
“I made a drawing first and then thought, ‘How can I get a shoe to be involved in this piece?'” Parra said in a statement. “Back in the day, I was thinking color blocking. I didn’t think about that this time. I just wanted to make cool work and then see how the shoe can relate to it.”
For Parra’s unique F&F version of his new Air Max 1, the shoe ditches the medial Swoosh branding to showcase the cloud graphics. “I remember back in day, you would take a little knife and remove the side graphic,” he said in a statement. “It freed up that panel to incorporate the cloud that’s in it now. But I was also very — and still am — very afraid what people will think of it. It does change the shoe visually.”
However, the retail versions of the Parra x Air Max 1 and Parra x Zoom Spiridon will feature blue Swooshes with Parra’s signature at the forefoot, an homage to his past F&F builds. Parra’s striking graphic patterns, comprised of stars, stripes, and clouds, appear all over both shoes. In a final testament to Dutch street culture, the footwear collection will launch alongside a matching tracksuit.
The Parra x Nike Air Max 1 and Zoom Spiridon, as well as the tracksuit, will release on July 21. Nike has not announced pricing information.
Source: Nike
