A Brief History of Riccardo Tisci’s Nike Collaborations
Luxury collaborations are a firm fixture within the sneaker scene, with examples tracing back to the 90s. However, it was in the mid-2010s that brands balled out on them. In a fashion landscape defined by logomania and braggadocious styling, sneaker companies were tapping fashion house talent left, right and centre in an effort to push boundaries and elevate their offerings. But while was already a few years into their partnership with , and were experimenting with , Nike opted to join forces with for four years of joint projects. Now, rumour has it, the duo will be .
Having grown up in a single-parent, working-class family in Italy, Tisci often cited Nike as one of the American brands that inspired him to work towards designing on the global stage. The designer left school at 11 before obtaining a scholarship to the renowned London-based fashion school Central St Martins, which he graduated from in 1999. Though he later opted to work with the Swoosh, Tisci's early career saw him get a head start at before starting his own house in 2004. Fast-forward just a year, and Tisci was headhunted for Givenchy, where he remained as creative director until 2017 before taking over at the following year.
Tisci’s Catholic upbringing had helped to define a signature look for Givenchy - a dark romanticism that often came across as slightly gothic, which later translated to his collaborations. Tisci also introduced a bunch of animal motifs to the house – within the streetwear realm there was no getting away from that particular Rottweiler tee. As the lines between high fashion, athleisure and streetwear continued to blur, Tisci found time to work with the Swoosh, before the partnership was eventually put on hold in 2018.
While they may have spent the past few years on hiatus, rumours that Tisci and Nike will reconnect in 2025 have started to swirl this year. Tisci left Burberry towards the end 2022 and has remained relatively quiet since, but as is often the way with creative types, it’s more than possible that upcoming projects and plans are in motion. Earlier this year the designer was spotted at the Nike On Air event in Paris, nestled in between frequent Nike collaborator and rapper Travis Scott, and the brand’s CEO John Donahoe. Rumour has it that Tisci’s next project with the Swoosh will be the , a model that has also seen collaborations from the likes of and . While no imagery or confirmation has arrived just yet, we've taken the time to retrace Nike and Tisci's partnership ahead of the rumoured comeback.
RT + Nike Air Force 1 (2014)
Tisci’s relationship with the Swoosh traces back to before any partnership was officially announced, as the designer admitted to almost exclusively wearing ‘Triple White’ for over 16 years. A keen basketballer in his teen years, it made sense for his debut Nike collection to centre on the Air Force 1, and Nike were even rumoured to have pushed for a different and more experimental shoe before the duo agreed on a slightly modified version of the 80s hooper silhouette.
The initial saw Tisci introduce a Nike AF-1 Low, Mid and High and boot variation. Each pair also featured colourful graphic details on the Swooshes, throats and heel tabs, and the boot also saw contrasting wavy lines wrap their way around the calves.
Naturally, Tisci kicked the collection off with a white pack that was inspired by the silhouette’s connection to the hip-hop and music scene. A black pack followed, referencing more of a signature Givenchy gothic-esque aesthetic before Tisci concluded the series with a beige pack that he considered to be ‘more natural and organic’.
Riccardo Tisci x Breg x Nike Air Cast 1 (2015)
While may have caused a stir with their in 2022, Tisci could be considered ahead of the game. Marking a more playful take on his debut collection, the designer converted his previous project into the . Like MSCHF’s pair, the style was designed to mark a playful jab at hype culture, which was heating up rapidly at the time.
Dreamt up as a three-way collaboration with cast maker Breg, the project saw a calf-length AF1 get reimagined with a more solid sidewall construction and chunky Velcro strapping for added support – perfect for sneakerheads who wanted to remain swaggy while healing select severe foot injuries. Nike and Tisci even gave Sneaker Freaker the scoop on the silhouette, where Tisci was quoted as saying: 'I've been an armchair admirer of Breg's work for decades, the is basically the reason I got into fashion. On my first trip to Milan with Papa when I was 14, I saw a man wearing the Infinity and my mind was blown. Such an iconoclastic design, it really made me question why most footwear looks so similar, so formulaic. The Infinity has influenced my own design work over the years, I think you can see that, so to work with Breg directly is a huge honour.' The only kicker? The shoe was teased to drop at select pharmacies on (you guessed it) April 1.
RT + NikeLAB Dunk Lux High (2016)
The collaborators may have had their fun in 2015, but the partnership was just starting to get serious. Stepping away from the Air Force 1, Tisci put his spin on another of Nike’s court classics: the . Once again playing with proportions, Tisci turned the silhouette into a boot (yeah, there's a bit of a theme here), delivering the in tumbled black leather that matched Givenchy Men’s sleek streetwear-driven aesthetic, and adding bright white Swooshes and heel tabs for ease of wear. Matching the sneaker’s stealthy look, Tisci also added subtle monochromatic Swooshes to the tongue tabs too. Other high fashion details arrived in the form of of-the-era quilted leather tongues. The design built upon improvements made to the Dunk Lux by the NikeLAB innovation team the previous year – their update had seen Team Swoosh add Lunarlon insoles for better durability and comfort, and memory foam lining for an improved fit.
RT + NikeLAB Training Redefined Free Train Force Flyknit (2016)
In 2016, Nike and Tisci announced a new line from the designer which would launch alongside the Rio Games. This saw Tisci branch out from working on Swoosh footwear and venture into apparel as well. Tisci designed a two-part collection of sportswear styles: part one in black and white, and part two in kaleidoscopic colours and floral prints that featured flower motifs based on plants from Oregon, Italy and Rio. Speaking to the Financial Times about the collection, the designer said: ‘This is the first time in which everything is brand new, and all shapes are Riccardo Tisci's. The objective was to introduce new volumes and new concepts in the sporting industry, while still respecting Nike's functionality and performance.’
Alongside the clothing collection, Nike and Tisci also dropped performance-geared footwear. One of these styles was the – a sporty silhouette that utilised Nike's ultra-lightweight for better performance. The resulting pairs came in four colourways designed to complement the clothing collections. Men's exclusive releases came in stealthy triple black and green marl colourways, while the women's releases arrived in both tonal cream and .
RT + Nike Air Zoom Legend (2016)
After turning his hand to training styles, Tisci then decided to edge into the formal footwear realm and worked with the Swoosh on a Chelsea boot-sneaker hybrid. The limited edition collaborative was a futuristic-looking style that merged a high-top, boot-inspired upper that feature Chelsea boot-style panelling, with a sporty sole taken from the Nike Aqua Boot. Featuring a protruding heel and pops of colour, the detailing on the sole unit was said to have been inspired by the city of Rio de Janeiro. Once again reverting to his gothic Givenchy tendencies, a second colourway followed suit, swapping out the colourful heel detail for a simple 'Black/White' formation.
The heel’s prominence was also designed to pay tribute to the Greek mythological character Achillies – Tisci told Vogue that the heel had to be important, as the body part’s aesthetic has ‘always represented strength since ancient Greece, where Achilles’s heel represented the human male force’.
RT + NikeLAB Dunk Lux Chukka (2017)
Tisci revisited the Nike Dunk silhouette in 2017, but by the time the sneaker was released in February, the designer had parted ways with Givenchy. This time, Tisci opted to work on the and kept things clean with three skate culture and basketball-inspired colourways: ‘White/Black’, ‘Black/White’ and ‘White/Red’. Noticeable differentiations from the Dunk Lux’s usual make-up included a full-grain leather construction, jumbo Swooshes and the removal of the perforated toe box – which, although probably led to some sweaty feet – made for an ultra-premium look and feel. In line with his previous Dunk colab, the sneakers retained their Lunalon sole, memory foam landing and embossed heel details. Potentially Tisci's most wearable Nike colab to date it'd be fair to say that these have aged better than others, and wouldn't have looked at all out of place during the Dunk mania years just gone.
RT + NikeLAB Air Max 97 (2017)
With Dunks, Air Force 1s and training shoes under his belt, it was time for Tisci to take on a new franchise. This time, the designer tackled the , a sneaker that called back to Tisci’s Italian heritage thanks to its popularity within Milan’s . The colab formed part of NikeLAB’s Vision-AIRS collection, which saw a handful of talent including industrial designer Marc Newson and architect Arthur Huang reimagine some of the Swoosh's iconic Air Max silhouettes. Tisci leaned into his upbringing and used his couturier background to elevate the Air Max 97, converting it into a mid-top sneaker. Once again, he fused these high-fashion elements with street-style ready details, opting for gold Swooshes, embossed logos and contrast stitching to offer up a runway-ready take on the -designed model.
Riccardo Tisci x Nike Victorious Minotaurs Collection (2017)
In October 2017, Tisci and Nike revisited the designer’s childhood love of basketball with a collection inspired by the transition between the sport's on-court and tunnel ‘fits. Though Nike had recently re-upped its contract to design NBA uniforms, Tisci invented a fictional team called the Victorious Minotaurs for the collection and even included a Swoosh-themed play on the NBA logo as a motif throughout the capsule.
The collection spanned a range of clothing and accessories, which included bomber jackets, shirts and sweats, but the show was stolen by Tisci’s latest take on the Air Force 1. Tisci delivered a high-top version of the silhouette that was infused with patriotic flair – a white base played host to the aforementioned NBA-style patches at the top of the toebox while red Swooshes swept across the sidewalls, overlaying Tisci’s signature star detail underneath. The shoe's midsoles were also painted red, and red, white and blue striped ankle straps called back to Nike and Tisci’s initial link-up. A second colourway saw the same details sit atop a black base.
Riccardo Tisci x Nike AF1 Victorious Minotaurs All Stars (2018)
As 2018 rolled around and their partnership dwindled towards its unofficial end, Tisci and Nike revisited the for a victory lap of sorts. Once again working on the AF1 High, Tisci delivered two more colourways inspired by the mythological, superhuman beings that we mere mortals often consider athletes to be. The first of these saw Tisci return to bright hues of pink, purple and red. The second colourway was a slightly more subdued take, where Tisci returned to a black and white base, and added yellow and red details for contrast. Once again, these pairs came with an accompanying basketball-inspired apparel collection.