This weekend, the Jumpman returns to the Nike SB lineup with the release of the highly anticipated Air Jordan 1 OG Hi Defiant ‘New York to Paris’. So why is such a seemingly simple colourway drumming up so much hype? Well, like a certain mob of transforming robots, when it comes to these kicks there’s truly more than meets the eye!
These new Jays are two sneakers in one, featuring uppers that are designed to wear away to reveal a new colourway beneath. This isn’t the first time we’ve encountered a sneaker with a dual identity, however, so we thought we’d wind back the clock to look at some of the most memorable sneakers with hidden alter egos.
Geoff McFetridge X Nike Vandal Supreme (2003)
One of the first releases to ever dabble with the concept of a dual identity, and still one of the best. Nike unleashed this duo of Vandals in 2003 in collaboration with legendary graphic designer Geoff McFetridge. Commonly known as the ‘Tearaways’ Vandals – and with good reason – these clean-cut ballers packed a hidden punch beneath their seersucker uppers. If you were game enough to take a blade or flame to the pinstriped fabric, you would discover a metallic leather upper beneath, adorned with McFetridge’s familiar motifs.
Nike would revisit the idea the following year, sans McFetridge’s involvement, for a women’s-exclusive Vandal with zesty orange accents.
Slam City Skates x Nike Dunk Low SB (2005)
Dual-coated ‘wearaway’ leather has made its way on to a number of sneakers in recent years, but its introduction back in the mid 2000s blew our minds! The crew at UK skate shop Slam City were some of the first to make use of the concept, which they incorporated into the branding of their 2005 Nike SB collaboration. The black Swooshes would change to a brilliant sky blue with wear and tear, adding a cherry on top of a stellar Pink Box Dunk.
Not many collectors know, but these beauties were given the retro treatment in 2013, but in insanely limited numbers. A total of just 25 pairs, built on the revised Dunk SB sole unit, were created to celebrate the opening of Slam City’s new East London storefront.
CLOT x Nike Air Force 1 Low ‘1World’ (2009)
Inspired by Geoff McFetridge’s 2003 Vandals, the team at CLOT chose to build on the original concept with a touch of decadence for their contribution to Nike’s 1World campaign. 1World celebrated the legacy of the Air Force 1 through collaborations with talented creatives from across the globe. CLOT’s AF-1 came cloaked in opulent red silk, making for a sneaker that you would be hard-pressed to treat with anything but the very best in care. If, however, you were willing to sacrifice their beauty and strip away the silk, then you would discover an intricately laser-engraved leather upper beneath. These are regarded as one of the best Air Force 1 releases of all time and it’s not hard to see why.
CLOT and Nike would reconnect in 2018 to resurrect their coveted collaboration with a crispy white makeover as part of the AF-100 Collection, which also included white-on-white contributions from Travis Scott, Virgil Abloh, Don C, Errolson Hugh and Rock-A-Fella Records co-founder Kareem ‘Biggs’ Burke.
‘Statue of Liberty’ and ‘Cheech & Chong’ Dunk High Premium SBs (2011)
Many like to say that Nike SB releases took a dive once they entered the Black Box era and beyond, but there were still plenty of stellar releases to be found, including this duo of Dunk Highs from 2011.
In a nod to the iconic patina of the New York landmark, the Statue of Liberty-inspired Dunks featured monochrome ‘Seagrass’ uppers and Lady Liberty’s mug on the tongue tags. However, the best part of this release lay in wait for those planning to wear them into the ground. Like the statue itself, a lustrous bronze upper is concealed beneath the green exterior, delivering a worthy reward for those willing to actually wear these as intended.
Another memorable release from 2011, was that year’s ‘420’ release, which drew inspiration from the classic stoner comedy duo Cheech & Chong. Picking up where the ‘Skunk’ Dunk left off, these featured furry green uppers concealed behind canvas that could be revealed with a chop or grind. However, for authenticity, the use of a bit of flame is a must!
Lance Mountain x Nike SB x Air Jordan 1 (2014)
Without question, one of the greatest sneaker releases of the past decade! In 2014, the Air Jordan 1 finally joined the SB lineup and OG skate scene legends Craig Stecyk and Lance Mountain were given the honour of creating the debut make-ups for the new SB Jay. Stecyk’s design featured eye-catching iridescent uppers, but it was Mountain’s contribution (or, rather, contributions) that really stole the spotlight. In a throwback to the days of old, when skaters – including the legendary Bones Brigade – skated through pair after pair of clearance rack AJ1s and painted over any mismatched pairs, Mountain mixed up the original ‘Bred’ and ‘Royal’ colourways and covered each combination in a layer of either white or black. The classic colourways were intended to be revealed through wear and tear at the skatepark, but that didn’t stop plenty of impatient sneakerheads from busting out the acetone to remove the colourways beneath.
Nowadays, the Lance Mountain AJ1s will set you back a hefty sum on the resale market, but Nike SB have offered up ‘wearaway’ alternatives in recent times, with the latest being the Air Jordan 1 OG Hi Defiant ‘New York to Paris’, dropping this weekend.
Nike Air Max 1 Bespoke by Sean Wotherspoon (2018)
One of the most beautiful Air Max 1 creations we’ve seen in recent years came from the mind of Sean Wotherspoon. Like his coveted Air Max 1 x Air Max 97 collaboration from earlier in 2018, Wotherspoon clad his new bubble-blessed creation in an melange of colourful corduroy. It’s a beautiful sneaker, no doubt, but Wotherspoon added an extra special touch of secret insanity. In a throwback to the ‘Tearaway’ Vandals and CLOT AF-1s we previously touched on, Wotherspoon hid an assortment of floral prints beneath the corduroy panels, only visible if someone’s crazy enough to cut these beauties apart. Thankfully, the Round Two co-founder was just the right amount of crazy to give us a peek. Sadly, the only two pairs of these that exist are in Wotherspoon’s rotation and there’s zero chance he’ll be giving them up anytime soon!
The Nike SB x Air Jordan 1 OG Hi Defiant ‘New York to Paris’ releases this Saturday, May 25. Pairs will drop at 9am CEST online and at 11am CEST in stores.