Ending weeks of speculation, Tiffany & Co. and athletic powerhouse Nike debuted photographs and social media posts confirming their shoe collaboration, along with a limited-edition sterling silver accessories collection.
Set to release to the public March 7, the Nike x Tiffany & Co. Air Force 1 Low 1837 shoes come in premium black suede and feature that unmistakable Tiffany Blue on the well-known Nike Swoosh in leather. The shoe also has co-branded silver details above each heel. The retail price for the shoe is $400, according to a Tiffany press release.
Social media reaction was mixed. Some commenters admired the collab and seemed ready to buy. Others wondered why this particular shoe was selected, as the shoe had a negative reputation within certain songs, memes, and common parlance—black Forces or AF1s were known as shoes a person “who is up to no good” might wear, some noted.
In its press release, Tiffany said the companies selected this shoe to honor Air Force 1’s 40th anniversary. “The shoe…is a first partnership for the brands on a ‘legendary pair,’” according to the press release.
“Each design is as much a celebration of the Nike x Tiffany & Co. Air Force 1 1837 as it is a display of the House’s unparalleled savoir faire and craftsmanship,” Tiffany said in a statement.
Jewelry designer Amina Sorel calls the partnership and resulting products “a win-win for everyone.”
“Nike and Tiffany’s team up for an epic campaign that both the jewelry and athleisure connoisseur will appreciate,” Sorel tells JCK. “‘Just Do It’ in [Tiffany] Blue signals an emergence of elegance and approachability that jewelry lovers and sneaker aficionados didn’t know they needed.”
The Nike x Tiffany & Co. Air Force 1 1837 will be sold at two Tiffany locations in Manhattan: the Flagship Next Door and the SoHo store. It also will be available globally via Nike’s SNKRS app and at select Nike partner retail stores across North America.
As part of the Nike collaboration, Tiffany will offer sterling silver accessories at prices ranging from $250 to $475. These co-branded items include a whistle, shoehorn, shoe brush, and dubrae for the shoe’s signature laces. Individual prices on each item were not available, and Tiffany did not respond to additional requests for comment on the pricing.
Sneakerheads have long waited for the Nike and Tiffany collaboration. There are some Tiffany-inspired shoes already on the market, but they are not official partnerships between the two brands.
Publicity hit a high the weekend before the official shoe release announcement as leaked pictures of the collab found their way to Instagram and other social media. Tiffany itself finally teased the partnership on Instagram; the post got more than 1.4 million likes.
In the hours following the Jan. 31 announcement, public reaction ranged from disappointment—some commenters said they would have preferred a white shoe with a Tiffany Blue Swoosh—to concerns that the shoe was a form of gentrification. Images of basketball great LeBron James wearing the shoes gave the news life as well for another day.
Tiffany has had a variety of similar social media moments over the past few years, including when it released images of a thorned crown it created for musician Kendrick Lamar and its use of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s art in the “About Love” campaign with Beyoncé and Jay-Z.
The brand also has enjoyed key successes of late, including its gender-inclusive Tiffany Lock, a modern take on a bracelet that has gained Tiffany new, younger customers. Its parent company, LVMH, recently reported record sales and credited Tiffany in its press release.
“Tiffany & Co. had a record year, driven by its increasing desirability. While its High Jewelry revenue doubled, the new Lock bracelet collection, rolled out in North America, enjoyed great success alongside other iconic lines,” the company said.
Top: Two product giants made their collaboration official Jan. 31, revealing the Nike x Tiffany & Co. Air Force 1 Low 1837 shoes and four sterling silver accessories. (Photos courtesy of Tiffany & Co.)
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