A partnership spanning seven years, the A-COLD-WALL* & Nike creative collaboration unveils its next chapter this month with the release of the ACW_NIKE TN98. To mark the launch we look back at the collection so far; a catalogue of legacy silhouettes deconstructed and rebuilt under the ACW* visual framework. 

Tapping into his personal relationship with the brand, designer Samuel Ross identifies the subcultural narratives underpinning each model. Employing advanced fabrications, innovative construction techniques and avant-garde colour applications, these stories are retold through a progressive lens, past, present and future in alignment. 

Community remains at the heart of this ongoing project. Examining the relationship between wearer and brand, each release sparks a conversation around our collective experiences and shared histories, A-COLD-WALL* & Nike unified across common ground. 

Released in 2017, the A-COLD-WALL* & Nike Air Force One (AF1) kicked off this prolific collaboration. A storied basketball silhouette carrying over 40 years of cultural weight, its impact has rarely been matched. Samuel Ross approached the shoe with a ‘reduce and refine’ philosophy, embellishment kept to a minimum the AF1’s essential elements were retained and respected. Grey suede overlays on white leather, a contrast ankle guard, embroidered bracket logo and a minimal perforated swoosh complete this understated remake, a stripped-back debut celebrating a Nike icon.

A more radical direction taken in 2018, the A-COLD-WALL* & Nike Vomero in Onyx and Clay became a starting point for a wider investigation into garment ageing and individualisation. Engineered to visibly wear over time, the Vomero was stripped of its protective PU coating, accelerating the discolouration process and lending each pair a distinctive, living character. A boldly oversized heel counter completely transformed this silhouette, a radical intervention that challenged the boundaries of collaboration footwear.

2018 saw the launch of a low-top A-COLD-WALL* & Nike Flyleather Air Force One, maintaining the core elements of its predecessor, this easy-wear shoe placed focus on a Flyleather construction, a partially recycled material formed with at minimum of 50% leather fibres that would have otherwise been sent to landfill. Available in white or black, simplicity remained key, monochrome tones in-keeping with ACW* themes around industrial design and architectural minimalism.