Leaks for Nike‘s slate of sneakers for NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles are quickly ramping up, and the latest to join the fray has immediately drawn comparisons to one of the Swoosh’s biggest and most expensive collaborations of all-time.
The Nike Air Force 1 Low “LA All-Star” is being widely viewed on social media as a lookalike for the gold Louis Vuitton Air Force 1s designed by Virgil Abloh. Both sneakers feature a metallic sheen throughout their uppers, as well as repeat embossing. The biggest difference, however, will be price, as the LV AF1s retailed for $2,750.
An iridescent bronze defines the upper for the All-Star edition, while its indents are shaped like stars. Another flourish arrives via an embroidered patch at the lateral heel putting an orange Swoosh underneath “LA,” and the main Swoosh is rendered in pebbled white leather with black trim. A bronze tongue patch adds an additional callout to Los Angeles, and actual metal is used for the bronze lace dubrae.
Yet more bronze arrives via a triangle badge on the black mustache, and black continues to ground the shoe on the tongue, laces and and lining. Rounding out the shoe is a black midsole with white “Air” branding and a translucent black outsole.
Abloh brought together Nike and Louis Vuitton for the landmark Air Force 1 collection in 2022. It featured a whopping 47 colorways for the public to purchase, as well as another eight made only for friends and family.
The “Metallic Gold” pair observers are calling out as the source material for the “All-Star” variant swings wide on the resale market, fetching anywhere up to $18,000 on platforms such as StockX.
Plans from Nike proper for NBA All-Star are skewing Kobe Bryant-centric, including two shoes he wore in different years of the exhibition game and a tribute to the LA Forum on his first signature sneaker. Under the wider Nike umbrella, Jordan Brand’s releases include the Air Jordan 6 “Salesman” and “Bin23,” as well as the Levi’s x Air Jordan 3 collaboration.
The Nike Air Force 1 Low “LA All-Star” will release Feb. 13 through Nike’s website and select third-party retailers. Pricing is set at $160.
Nike Air Force 1 Low “LA All-Star” (pair)
Nike Air Force 1 Low “LA All-Star” (lateral)
Nike Air Force 1 Low “LA All-Star” (medial)
Nike Air Force 1 Low “LA All-Star” (above)
Nike Air Force 1 Low “LA All-Star” (heel)
Nike Air Force 1 Low “LA All-Star” (outsole)
