The Nike Air Force 1 “Shanghai” Fuses Nubuck And Patent Leather

Following the release of special Air Force 1s for Las Vegas and Paris, Nike will reprise the “City Pack” with two more locally-minded pairs over the coming months. Next up is the “Seoul” colorway, but looking a bit further ahead, the Beaverton brand has a “Shanghai” edition on tap for Holiday 2024. We got our first glimpse at the shoe during a recent SNKRS Showcase, but now the arrival of official images allows for a more comprehensive, detailed breakdown.

Right off the bat, you’re hit with striking contrast in more ways than one. Thick “Flax” nubuck overlays are placed over “Light Crimson” patent leather on the toe box and quarter, bringing two drastically different materials and colors to a helm. The sole is comprised of semi-translucent gum, lending a slight nod to the Air Force 1 CO.JP “Wheat” from 2001, while the Swoosh and backtab opt for black, ballistic fabric for even more uniqueness.

For branding, the Air Force 1 “Shanghai” features a leather tongue label, the larger, Swoosh-less “Nike Air” stitching on the heel, and a black star lace dubrae with a cut-out Swoosh, further tying in with the Chinese flag alongside the red hue. The inner tongue hosts an intricate red stitched pattern that with broken up numbers reading “1982,” the year the Air Force 1 was created, matched by a similar stitched graphic on the inner heel. All told, the design fuses two entirely different aesthetics in a way that somehow works out for the best.

No release date has been set at the time of this writing, but as mentioned, the Air Force 1 “Shanghai” is expected to arrive during the Holiday 2024 shopping season. Like all “City Pack” AF1 releases from this most recent bundle, expect a $150 MSRP.

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