Comme des Garçons and Nike are running it back on their zen garden-inspired Air Foamposite One.
The Comme des Garçons x Nike Air Foamposite One “Cat Eye” brings a marbled pattern in grey to the reshaped sneaker. In 2021, CdG became the first collaborator to customize the Foamposite shell, as rippled pattern carried across the upper in black and white colorways. For the sneaker’s return, “Comme des Garçons Homme Plus” is printed on the shoe’s mustache, while gold, silver and bronze striping on the tongue and heel pulls nod to this summer’s Paris Olympics.
Pricing has also been brought down to $325 from the $520 tag commanded for the first two colorways.
Nike introduced the Air Foamposite One and its namesake technology in 1997. The form-fitting, single-piece shell is created by pouring liquid polyurethane into a mold and applying pressure and heat, which came at no small cost. Nike had to outsource production of the molds to Korean car manufacturer Daewoo for a reported $750,000 for each size produced. It also needed to find a new way to affix the Foamposite upper to its sole unit, and the solution ended up being five times stronger than previous methods use — a discovery that would have a wider effect on the brand’s construction.
Originally, the Air Foamposite One released in only one colorway made for Penny Hardaway — making it an unofficial signature sneaker of sorts for the star point guard. The first retro didn’t come until 2007, and new colorways were launched for the first time that year as well.
The Comme des Carçons x Nike Air Foamposite One “Cat Eye” will release this Friday, July 19, through Dover Street Market’s global stores and E-Shop. An additional drop could come through the Snkrs app, but nothing has been confirmed yet.
Ian Servantes is a Senior 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.
