Nike’s Beloved Air Foamposite One ‘Eggplant’ Sneaker Returns for the First Time in Six Years
The NBA All-Star Weekend is just over a month away, and Nike’s annual slate of highly coveted sneakers is coming into form. Now confirmed to join the Air Jordan 4 “Bred Reimagined” and the Air Jordan 1 “Metallic Burgundy” for release in mid-February is the beloved Air Foamposite One “Eggplant.”
Although “Eggplant” isn’t one of the original colorways for the Air Foamposite One, it quickly became a fan-favorite upon its debut in 2009. The sneaker would release again in 2017, and next month’s release will mark just the third ever.
No changes mark the shoe’s latest appearance, as the namesake color forms the Air Foamposite One’s signature molded Foamposite shell with an iridescent finish. Black is used for the mesh and nubuck portions of the rest of the upper, as well as the exposed carbon fiber plate at midfoot, while the outsole takes on a icy blue translucent finish.
Launched in 1997 as the groundbreaking signature shoe for Penny Hardaway, the Air Foamposite One remains to this day as one of Nike’s oddest and most heralded sneaker designs. It was the first sneaker to feature Foamposite technology, which involves heating a polyurethane liquid and pouring it into a mold to create a snug, form-fitting feeling on the foot.
“There was this notion of what if you literally just dipped your foot in this liquid bath of material and it just sucked around your foot?” Eric Avar, who led Nike’s Advanced Product Engineering group at the time, said in a blog post from Nike. “And what if you could go play basketball in that? That was the inspiration and I tried hard to get people to see that.”
The Nike Air Foamposite One “Eggplant” will release Feb. 14 through the SNKRS app and select additional retailers. Pricing is set at $240.
About the Author:
Ian Servantes is a Senior Trending News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.