A New Virgil Abloh Archives x Nike Air Force 1 Low Spotted in Paris

The entire fashion world is descending on France for Paris Fashion Week. Shows from all of the brands you’d expect to see will be taking place over several days, but sneakerheads have been looking forward to one thing: a new Virgil Abloh: The Codes exhibit. Hosted inside the building that once housed the famous Parisian boutique Colette, Virgil’s estate and his multiple entities, like Virgil Abloh Securities, the Virgil Abloh Foundation, and the newly-founded Virgil Abloh Archives, gathered hundreds upon hundreds of archival prototypes and reference materials that Abloh once possessed. On display at the exhibit and on the feet of select individuals is a new Virgil-influenced Nike Air Force 1 Low.

If the pair looks familiar to you, you might be remembering the vibrant green Brooklyn colorway of the Off-White AF1, but this Virgil Abloh Archives-branded version of the silhouette comes in a darker forest green shade. The premium leather upper is entirely coated in this single hue, with accenting hits coming via the metallic silver foil Swoosh, orange tab on the end of the logo, yellow “AIR” text on the midsole, and yellow “V.A.A. for NIKE” text on the medial side. More Virgil Abloh Archives branding is found on the iconic zip tie. Interesting that this pair, much like the upcoming Sesame colorway, is devoid of any Off-White references.

Over the years, Virgil’s AF1 design has evolved. The original The Ten from 2017 featured the Bruce Kilgore design in the signature white color palette and came deconstructed like the other sneakers in the collection. “GHOSTING,” as Abloh, Off-White, and the team behind The Ten called it, was meant to reveal and unite a series of sneakers through common materials and design details, which included models like the Air Max 97, Chuck Taylor, and of course, the AF1.

Alongside this “GHOSTING” design language, which also made its way to the Volt and Black colorways of the Off-White AF1, were the MoMA and ComplexCon colorways of the sneaker. The Black (MoMA) and White (ComplexCon) featured a series of minor tweaks that together radically changed the silhouette. The traditional all-leather upper still remains, but we see added details like a stitched-on Swoosh, an orange tab to the tail of the Swoosh logo, the iconic Off-White-branded hangtag, a strip of leather on the spine of the heel, exposed foam on the sockliner and tongue, and a vertical tongue tag on the side. Of course, like all Off-White projects, the medial side of the upper contains text in Helvetica font.

Following this, the standard Off-White AF1 Low would follow this design language, eventually releasing in the MCA, Lemonade, and Brooklyn colorways. Abloh also launched a mid-top version of the sneaker in multiple colorways, retooling the model with a spiked outsole and wavy midsole. We can’t really fault Abloh for the lukewarm response to the mid-top AF1, as in general the silhouette doesn’t get the love it deserves.

Unless you’re tight with Virgil Abloh’s estate and the Virgil Abloh Archives team, you’ll just have to admire this new AF1 from a distance. If you’re in Paris, you can attend the Virgil Abloh: The Codes exhibit from today, September 30, until October 9. We’ll keep you updated on all new Virgil Abloh x Nike developments, especially release info for Virgil’s upcoming Sesame AF1, via the Sole Retriever mobile app.

Nicholas Vlahos

Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. When not writing for Sole Retriever, I enjoy attending concerts and catching the latest movies. Email: nick@soleretriever.com