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The Nike Air Force 1 Mid ‘Ale Brown’ Pays Homage to Classic Shoeboxes

Nike Air Force 1 Mid Metallic Ale Brown DH5623-100
Nike Air Force 1 Mid Metallic Ale Brown DH5623-100
Nike Air Force 1 Mid Metallic Ale Brown DH5623-100
Nike Air Force 1 Mid Metallic Ale Brown DH5623-100
Nike Air Force 1 Mid Metallic Ale Brown DH5623-100

As the 40th anniversary of the Nike Air Force 1 finally kicks into gear, the Swoosh is pulling from a seemingly bottomless barrel of inspiration for new colourways of the legendary model. Up next in Mid configuration is the ‘Ale Brown’, which borrows a familiar arrangement while dipping into somewhat unexpected source material.

Let’s address the layout first. The metallic patent overlays in the namesake ‘Ale Brown’ contrasted against white tumbled leather certainly screams ‘Independence Day’. The allusion is made obvious with the big orange jelly-like ‘Jewel’ Swoosh, but the similarities end there.

According to Nike, this particular brown/orange combo is a nod to the two-tone shoeboxes that housed many a classic AF-1 in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It’s not the first time packaging has become the product, but this is a particularly strong example of the practice. The homage continues with additional orange accents on the throat, strap and heel tab branding. This is surrounded by aged midsoles, the ‘fauxtina’ helping pass off the idea that this colourway could have existed 20 years ago.

The Nike Air Force 1 Mid ‘Ale Brown’ will be available directly from Nike SNKRS on April 28.

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