The Nike Air Force 1 “What The LA” Drops October 22nd

A modern West Coast classic.

Matt Varga October 14th, 2026 (updated)

This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. The opinions and information provided on this site are original editorial content of Sneaker News.

2776

Updated October 14th, 2026: Official retailer images of this year’s Nike Air Force 1 Low “What The LA” release have been uploaded, showing a design identical to the 2019 edition. Pairs drop October 22nd, 2026 via Nike and retailers for $130.

: JD Sports

: JD Sports

: JD Sports

: JD Sports

: JD Sports

1 of 5

WHERE TO BUY

Mens Nike Air Force 1 Low "What the LA"

SKU: CT1117-100

RETAIL PRICE: $130

RELEASE DATE: Nov 5, 2026

US 11/05/2026 Thursday

Retailer	Release type	Status
Nike SNKRS	Standard	Coming Soon

Show All Releases

Get on the Where to Buy list

Original article published June 29th, 2026:

We in the media and the sneaker universe as a whole have paid a ton of attention to the concept of “opening the vault.” Maybe underdiscussed given that is the fact that Nike and the industry’s approach to retros and bring-backs has shifted in general. While the usual slate of 20th anniversary reissues and other celebratory efforts is still in place, brands have shown willingness to drop after a far shorter cooldown period; Vans is already reloading “Pearlized” hits from the past few years, Jordan Brand flexed their pre-order program for the Jordan 3 “Knicks” without much advance build-up.

That background noise means that news of the Nike Air Force 1 “What the LA,” now reportedly on the way back just 8 years after its initial release, doesn’t entirely bowl us over. Dropped in 2019 as part of a dueling mash-up series alongside a New York City edition, the shoe bucks the usual mash-up concept in its title by not pulling from existing shoes, but instead city-wide cues. The Lakers’ purple and yellow loom large over this design, expected to hit shelves anew true to its original design, with Dodgers, Kings, and overall championship atmospheres all visible further within. Just in case the idea wasn’t fully honed in by way of simple color, script Los Angeles text on the insoles and on the heel counters tie things in comprehensively.

Per Sneaker Market RO, the Nike Air Force 1 Low “What the LA” is expected to drop during the Holiday 2026 shopping season, planting its launch somewhere between October and the end of the year. At the time of this writing, it’s unclear whether these are tied to any specific Los Angeles event. For now, brush up on this eccentric design via the images below.

: Nike Air Force 1 Low “What The LA” (2019)

: Nike Air Force 1 Low “What The LA” (2019)

: Nike Air Force 1 Low “What The LA” (2019)

: Nike Air Force 1 Low “What The LA” (2019)

: Nike Air Force 1 Low “What The LA” (2019)

: Nike Air Force 1 Low “What The LA” (2019)

: Nike Air Force 1 Low “What The LA” (2019)

1 of 7

See more Sneaker News in your Google results,

ADD TO PREFERRED SOURCES

Love Sneaker News? Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of our stories in your search results. It only takes a click.

Written by

Matt Varga, Junior Editor

Matt Varga is an Editor at SneakerNews. Initially earning a degree in Video Arts and Technology, he got his start in video editing and writing in the music world — primarily on hip-hop and electronic. A long-standing interest in sneakers led him to switching over to footwear. An avid collector, his favorite sneaker of all time comes down to either the Air Jordan 1 “Black Toe” and Air Jordan 5 “Laney,” his first ever pick-ups. When he’s not writing, you can find Matt cooking, traveling, attending concerts and when weather permits, on the handball court.