Nike Partners With Rapper Skepta for Exclusive Air Max Sneakers Dropping Next Month

U.K.-based grime recording artist Skepta is keeping the buzz from his 2016 album “Konnichiwa” strong with the unveiling of a long-anticipated Nike sneaker collaboration.

Finding inspiration in Moroccan style and the classic Air Tuned Max sneaker from 1999, Skepta added personalized elements to Nike’s retro Air Max 97 sneaker.

“When designing the Air Max 97 Sk, we took the color palette of Morocco into consideration, but also the palette of the 1999 Air Tuned Max,” Skepta said in a press release. “That was the first shoe I ever saved up money to buy, so I wanted to bring its magic to the [Air Max] 97 — the magic that made me first love Air Max when I saw it as a child.”

Additional details pay homage to Skepta’s hometown of London and Nigerian roots.

“Air Max is from when we were running the streets. It was comfortable to wear in London, whether you were going out to a club or kicking a ball in the streets,” Skepta said. “Those kinds of things stick in my mind from the young, magical, fantasy years of my life.”

The rapper’s limited-edition design blends a chameleon combination of copper, rose gold and green. The particular model used in this collaboration is the Air Max 97 Ultra, which reduces unnecessary components for a lighter, more comfortable feel.

The Skepta x Nike Air Max 97 Sk releases globally on Sept. 2 from the Nike SNKRS app, nike.com and select retailers.

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