As you may or may not know, revered Safari print has quite the origin story. It starts back in the mid 1980s when Tinker Hatfield was roaming the streets of NYC with a dream to take athletic shoes to luxurious new heights and happened upon an ostrich-skin swathed couch in a window display. Its buttery bumps were just the spark of inspiration that the Nike designer needed – and the rest is history.
Having debuted on 1987’s Air Safari, the Safari print has become a staple scheme in the Swoosh canon, and is employed in a rainbow of hues. We’re keeping things classic though, and limiting our round-up to the warm oranges and tans the speckles are most known for. Grab your binoculars, get in the truck, and let’s go on safari!
We might as well as start at the beginning, right? The was the first outing for Hatfield’s new print, releasing as part of the revolutionary Air pack alongside the Air Max 1, Air Trainer 1, and Air Sock.
The Air Safari may not have rewritten sneaker history like its visible Air sibling, but it’s a bona fide icon nonetheless. And it still expels a mighty roar.
Fifteen years after the Air Max 1 and Air Safari debuted, atmos’ first Nike link-up brought them together in arguably the most-coveted Safari of all-time. While it embraced the warm tones of the OG colourway, it tweaked them to deliver a wearable tan and brown combo – itself launching a new scheme to come under the Safari umbrella.
The Air Safari is a certified classic, but the Air Max 1 just has something about it. Here’s a thought, let’s dress up the AM1 like the Safari. Hell, let’s even throw in some pony hair for good measure. And, to really gild the lily, let’s add some insane outsole graphics. Nice.
2012 marked the 25th anniversary of the legendary 'Safari', and the Swoosh decked out the Nike Air Trainer 1 to celebrate. Coincidentally (or not considering it's Nike), the Air Trainer was also celebrating its 25th birthday and it is also designed by none other than Tinker Hatfield. The iteration is anchored by a black section in the middle, and the 'Safari' tops and ends it on the toe and heel. The signature orange of course makes an appearance, hitting the top of the toe panel, Nike branding, and sock liner.
The Foamposite is used to receiving loud makeovers, so it was no surprise when it received a wild makeover in 2013. Featuring the print across its signature side panels, the design is tied together with a snazzy black strip through the centre and orange highlights.
It was a Tinker-on-Tinker affair when the copped its own Safari edition back in 2016. The 1997 Hatfield design – one of the first Swoosh sneakers to employ Zoom Air – was at home swathed in speckles, and its mesh didn’t look too shabby in blazing orange either. Extra points for the eye-searing fade on the outsole… Just because it looks sick.
Hot damn, this is one fresh . Dropping in 2016, the bespeckled bangers went big with the print, nodding to the celebrated AM1 in the jade tongue badge, and brown and tan cage. But can we talk about those laces! Don’t ask me how they did it, but somehow the Swoosh made an earthy brown tone look... eye-searing? An awesome final touch.
If the Air Safari was the original, 2018 dimpled duo is perhaps the most Safari-y Safari release. Not only were both the and wrapped in the popular print, they went one step further in the tribute by sporting the OG black, grey and ‘Monarch’ colour scheme. It was a one-two punch from the UK retailer, but we’d be lying if we said that the 1 didn’t hit different.
If you were late (very late), to the Air Max 1 version, Nike did you a solid by bringing out a AM95 under the same name in 2018. The pony hair was missing from this drop, but the orange was turned up, shining brighter on the toe guard and lining. They kept some of the special details though: the ‘Keep Rippin Stop Slippin’ graphic peeks behind the translucent outsole.
The 'Safari' print takes a back seat on this iteration, only gracing the top heel panel and front toe section. The rest of the design is covered in different coloured overlays, including 'Monarch', 'Flax', 'Mahogany Mink', and 'Yellow Ochre'. Since it's a special edition, the premium materials and rubber waffle outsole make it a roaring addition to the 'Safari' line.
The is the latest model to be given a pop of the pebbly print. Like previous entries on this list, the 90 twists the OG Safari’s colour combo, leaning heavily on a foundation of black leather – both smooth and perforated – with the namesake motif, orange and white offering support where needed. Extra kudos to these for also carrying the Safari onto the laces.
What are you going to do if you want to board in some Safari? Certainly not grind in your size? AM1s. Earlier this year, Nike SB ensured that you wouldn’t have to even entertain the thought, because they dropped the in a full-on Safari suit. The sleek skater was primed to shred with a hardy leather upper and cupsole – a combo guaranteed to last the distance.
Just as atmos’ Max brought together two famed shoes, Nike SB’s early 2020 release coupled the collaborative release with the shoe of the year. Transplanting earthy tones from the 1 to the skate staple, March’s ‘Safari' rode the 2020 Dunk wave before it became a veritable tsunami. *Chef’s kiss*
The newest rendition of 'Safari' comes from in-house via Nike SB in a homage to the upcoming Summer Olympics in Paris. The SB Dunk is composed in ‘Phantom’, ‘Black’, ‘Monarch’, ‘Summit White’ and ‘Chlorine Blue’. Manufactured in a classic blend of leather, the colourway features eye-catching 'Chlorine Blue' overlays – an obvious allusion to the City of Love and Les Bleus. Of course the iconic ‘Safari’ print overlays take centre stage, complementing the black Swoosh, tongue and outsole.