Sneaker News You read it right: Nike is bringing back the Ueno Sakura Nike Air Force 1.
Originally dropping in 2005 exclusively in Japan, this limited edition AF1 is considered to be one of the most coveted (if not THE most coveted) Japan-exclusive Nike releases in history. They’re named after the Ueno district in Tokyo and commemorate the annual cherry blossom season that has blossomed into one of the biggest tourist attractions in the country.
The shoes feature a full light Light Bone upper with a bright pink outsole, with laser-etched cherry blossoms at the fore-foot and on the tongue. A special UENO logo is embroidered at the heel.
In 2007, Nike set out to crown the greatest Air Force 1 in history through a vote in three key cities – NYC, Philly, and Baltimore. The Ueno Sakura Air Force 1 (actually a women’s release) was crowned the best-ever in the city Baltimore (likely due to cherry blossoms being associated with Washington D.C.); Nike ended up re-releasing the shoes in extremely limited quantity.
The 2024 Retro version was first spotted by respected sneaker collector @dontchargeabdul on Instagram, who attended the Nike Maxim awards last week. Full release details are currently unknown, so stay tuned for updates.
