NIKE iD: The Art of Borrowing Colorways

Thanks to Nike iD, we can all create the sneakers of our dreams. You begin with a blank template and the promise of nearly infinite possibilities for different combinations of colors, materials and approaches to blocking. It allows consumers to put their money where their mouth is, and instead of complaining about what the brand is and isn’t doing, take matters into their own hands and do it themselves. The iD process offers the ultimate vehicle to showcase your creativity and originality in sneaker form, but sometimes you’re working on an iD concoction and see a certain set of colors swatches that reminds you of one of your favorite shoes. Before you know it, your “original” design is actually an homage rather than a completely original concept.

And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. In fact, for many it’s something of an artform to adeptly apply classic color schemes to various Nike iD models. When exploring a new shoe or a new set of options on Nike iD, it can be almost a natural reaction to scan

the assortment of colors to see what existing colorways you can transform it into. Sometimes it’s such a good match that you can’t help yourself from throwing them in the cart, abandoning your initial goal of one-upping Nike’s accomplished design teams and instead giving them a pat on the back for the great work in bringing such memorable color palettes they’ve brought to our feet.

The crew here at Sneaker News are no strangers to stealing a colorway or two for Nike iD purposes, so we thought we’d give our readers a look at some of the best pairs we’ve ever pulled the trigger on. Continue on for a gallery of Nike iD doppelgangers created by Yu-Ming Wu, John Kim, and Aaron Kr., as well as a bunch from our friend and iD specialist, Carl Del Cielo. We’re willing to bet you guys have some good ones of your own, so join in on the fun and share your own Nike iD creations with us on Twitter and Instagram.

NIKE SB DUNK LOW “HEINEKEN” x AIR MAX 1 iD

The “Heineken” Dunk is one of the most revered of all the SB offerings, and thanks to its simple and immediately identifiable color scheme, it easily transitioned over to the Air Max 1 like a champ. In fact, the beauty of the common variety colors used on the original is that you can easily whip up a “Heineken” version of a ton of different shoes on Nike iD if you should so desire.

NIKE AIR MOWABB x AIR MAX 1 iD

The Air Mowabb palette is as classic as it gets and has been borrowed by countless Nike silhouettes over the years, but somehow it’s never made its way onto the Air Max 1 in any official capacity. Thanks to the wonders of Nike iD and a Mowabb-friendly set of color options, the dream is now a glorious reality.

NIKE AIR MAX 1 “KID ROBOT” x AIR MAX 1 iD

Nike iD does a pretty good job of preventing you from recreating exact replicas of classic styles, but every once in a while, the colors options align just right and you can get pretty damn close. This “Kid Robot” Air Max 1 iD may not sport premium leather and the robot logo on the heel, but it’s still as close to the original as most of us could ever hope for without spending well into four figures for the real thing.

NEW BALANCE 999 “KENNEDY” x AIR MAX 1 iD

Most of the classic-inspired Nike iD’s we see use other Nike or Air Jordan models as their blueprint, but once in a while, you see a pair that looks outside of Beaverton for its color cues. Concepts’ “Kennedy” edition of the New Balance 999 offered one of the most memorable color palettes in recent memory and the Air Max 1 seemed like the perfect iD candidate to pay tribute.

NIKE SB DUNK LOW “PIGEON” x AIR MAX 1 iD

Sometimes the colors offered by Nike iD aren’t an exact match to you desired inspiration, but if enough of them are close enough to the ballpark, you can still sometimes pull off a successful approximation. In the case of these “Pigeon” Air Max 1’s, the muted green hue gets close enough to the color family of the original grey to hammer the point home when juxtaposed alongside the rest of the color layout.

AIR JORDAN IV x AIR MAX 1 iD

For a while, Nike iD was offering a speckle option for the Air Max 1 that could be used not only for the midsole, but also on sections of the upper. The opportunity provided the perfect platform to pay homage to the “Cement” print from the Air Jordan IV, but flipped to incorporate elements of the “Bred” version as well. The end result blends the two and looks more like the vintage Jordan IV box than either of the OG colorways.

NIKE AIR MAX 1 “URAWA” x AIR MAX 1 iD

As seen with the “Kid Robot” version, despite Nike iD’s best efforts to thwart your attempts at identically recreating your grails, every once in a while, you can beat the system. Here’s another case where an almost exact replica of a classic was pulled off. Aside from some different materials and a few minor accent splashes, this “Urawa” Air Max 1 iD absolutely nails it when it comes to recreating the original.

“112” x NIKE AIR MAX 1 iD

We’ve seen DJ Clark Kent’s “112” colorway pop up on a ton of different models since the classic 2008 three-pack that first introduced it to the world. Plenty of Nike silhouettes have experienced the 112 treatment, but your best bet for an Air Max 90 version came way back when Nike iD offered an elephant print option several years back.

“GUCCI” x AIR MAX 90 iD

At this point, the Gucci color scheme has been done to death by all sorts of brands, but when it’s executed tastefully, it’s still a headturner nonetheless. This premium leather Air Max 90 iD doesn’t really borrow its colorblocking from previous Gucci-inspired shoes like the infamous SB Dunk High or Supreme’s Blazers, but instead just runs with the general concept to create a luxurious and original interpretation with the Starks Gucci stripe laces added as the cherry on top.

NIKE SB DUNK LOW “SUPREME” x AIR FORCE 1 LOW iD

It’s pretty safe to say that when Nike iD first offered elephant print for the Air Force 1, a large chunk of the orders were placed by like-minded individuals who saw their golden opportunity to whip up Supreme Dunk versions of the AF1 Low. While it was possible to stay true to the original with black full grain leather, this pair aimed to switch it up a bit, opting for nubuck on the toebox and midpanel for a slightly different look.

VINTAGE NIKE BOX x AIR FORCE 1 LOW iD

Back when Nike iD first put the Air Force 1 online a few years ago, most of the colors and materials were pretty basic – leather, suede, mesh. While those options have expanded considerably on a monthly basis since, the initial go-around offered the chance to keep it clean and simple. The bright safety orange leather provided a great opportunity to give a nod to the vintage orange/grey Nike box from the late ’80s and early ’90s with a traditionally blocked spin on the AF1 Low.

NIKE MAG x AIR 180 iD

The infamous Nike Mag unexpectedly became available to the public back in 2011, but they didn’t come cheap. Most of us came up short on grabbing a pair and resale prices for the “McFy” Hyperdunk aren’t much better, so when the limited edition speckle option was introduced for the Air 180 iD, at last came a chance to get your own Mag-inspired Nike’s at an affordable price.

NIKE ZOOM KOBE V “GAME OF DEATH” x AIR 180 iD

The “Kill Bill” edition of the Gel Saga was a smash hit, but Tarantino’s use of the classic yellow/black Asics were a nod to Bruce Lee’s footwear from the movie Game of Death. The Saga’s may have stolen some of the thunder, but Nike actually beat them to the punch with their Bruce Lee-inspired Kobe Vs. This pair of Air 180 iDs manages to get the point across loud and clear with a solid addition to the Game of Death/Kill Bill family.

AIR JORDAN XI “SPACE JAM” x LEBRON 9 iD

Much of the beauty of the Air Jordan XI “Space Jam” lies in its simplicity and you can’t replicate its essence by simply slapping the same color scheme on another shoe. Many have tried, but it’s rarely pulled off effectively. When the LeBron 9 iD unveiled its wavy Foamposite option, the extra glossiness made it a perfect candidate to successfully pull off the elusive “Space Jam” effect.

NIKE SB DUNK LOW “SKATE or DIE” x LEBRON X iD

The glory days of SB Dunks offered up tons of memorable colorways and it’s not uncommon to see Nike iDs and customs that appropriate some of the more popular styles. The “Skate or Die” edition, however, is not usually one of the first to come to mind for most, and what’s even more rare is that it’s been applied to a performance basketball shoe. The end result may be an unorthodox pairing, but it worked out pretty well and stands as a reminder of how vast the options are for all the great shoes out there waiting to be tapped for iD inspiration.

AIR JORDAN IV “UNDFTD” x ZOOM SHARKLEY iD

The army green/orange combo from the legendary UNDFTD Air Jordan IV is pretty much a can’t-miss any time it’s applied to a shoe. It almost always works and we’ve seen it pop up on a countless number of silhouettes, including this Zoom Sharkley iD version – an iD creation that might just make the model look better than any of the colorways that released at retail.

AIR JORDAN IV “WHITE/CEMENT” x AIR JORDAN 2012 iD

The Air Jordan 2012 was hit or miss with most sneaker consumers, but there’s no denying that the assortment of interesting speckle options on the iD version created some interesting possibilities to give the shoe some added flare. The grey/black combo offered a perfect “Cement” effect, opening the door to map out a nice homage to the OG white Jordan IVs.

AIR JORDAN XI IE LOW x DUNK LOW NYLON iD

Nike iD offers so many different color/material options and customizable sections of the shoe that it can sometimes be hard to restrain yourself enough to go the minimalist route and keep things clean and simple. Many of the greatest shoes of all-time have taken the more tonal approach, and this Nylon Dunk Low takes it cues from a prime example, the Air Jordan XI IE Low – a shoe that proves less can be more with its subtle, but effective black upper/red lining pairing.

NIKE LEBRON 8 “SOUTH BEACH” x DUNK HIGH NYLON iD

It would be hard to name a singular colorway that has had more influence on the sneaker market than the “South Beach” LeBron 8. Since it’s release, the Miami-inspired color scheme has trended its way onto all kinds of different shoes and brands, and while the craze may have gotten a little out of hand, there’s no denying that those colors blend together in such an appealing way that it’s hard to stay mad at the teal/hot pink blend. Any time a Nike iD shoe has color options that come close, people will make “South Beach” iD’s, but few have pulled off the color matching as well as this pair of Nylon Dunk Highs.

NIKE DUNK HIGH “WU-TANG” x DUNK HIGH iD

Not too many people have actual legit Wu-Tang Dunks, but the basic requisites of yellow and black have made it regularly possible to whip up something pretty close on Nike iD. This pair of Dunk iD’s sports a few discrepancies from the original, but nowadays, you can get even closer as more areas of the shoe have become individually customizable.

NIKE LEBRON 9 LOW “LIVERPOOL” x LUNARGLIDE+ 3 iD

Most of the inspired iD colorways we see use the proven classics or the latest signature bball models as their template, so it’s interesting to see a modern day performance runner used to channel another shoe. These LunarGlide+ 3s take advantage of a perfect color match to reproduce the look of the LeBron 9 Low “Liverpool” and its instantly recognizable red/mint tandem.