Now don’t get us wrong, Nike is a true innovator not only in sneakers and sportswear, but lifestyle as well. Always on the edge of forward-thinking design, Nike can be credited with revolutionising the sneaker, and fashion industry at large. Jacquemus as well is a pioneer in his own right, bringing his South of France aesthetic and elevating onto the global scene, which is why when the AF1 x Jacquemus collaboration was first announced, we were all on the edge of our seats.
After teasing the collaboration on Jacquemus’ Instagram, the close up shot of the “JF1” tag was just enough to get the Internet hyped over the new take on the AF1 remodel while keeping us itching for more, with the guessing games on what the design would actually look like going, considering all we could see from the rest of the image looked like a classic white model.
Now that the shoe has dropped, we’re not exactly sure what to think of it. Definitely an “if you get it you get it” item that no one seems to be getting, the JF1 is already receiving a good old dose of bashing with Twitter user @ugghhhhhhhhhhh calling them “hideous” and @adrianm__ “a travesty”.
Jacquemus bastardizing the AF1 with this hideous design I swear to god when I catch that french otter … pic.twitter.com/l36AuQZskM
— brad (@ugghhhhhhhhhhh) May 30, 2023
So what exactly is it that caused such an outrage? The shoe itself features an upper that is clearly part of an AF1 shoe, minus the Swoosh that appears in a silver hardware material and in a miniature size – so far so good. It’s the lower part of the shoe that has been causing gags of disgust, with its sole-wrapping nylon weaving and outsole 3D rubber details.
Apparently, this detail was inspired by one of Simon Porte Jacquemus’ “fav shoes ever”, according to his Instagram post, the Nike AGC Terra. Why not make the choice to collaborate on that shoe instead is a question we’ve been racking our brains with. No conclusive answer to report here.
The AF1 shoe is basic, in the sense that it has a simple, timeless silhouette that can essentially be styled with any outfit. Being an everyday, easy pair to throw on is where it thrives. It seems as though whenever other brands try to take a crack at remodelling the sneaker, it just kind of flops.
There was the AF1 x Tiffany & Co. collab earlier this year that everyone seemed to react to with the perplexing question of “what the fuck is that?”, and more recently the AF1 x Snapchat shoe that has to take the crown for laziest collaboration ever, if slapping your brand’s colour on the shoe’s logo and sole can even be called a collaboration.
Perhaps it’s because the AF1 is such a simple design, it already is perfect for what it is. And we all know what happens when someone tries to modify something that’s already perfect – without fail, it ends up being a botched job. Giving credit where credit is due, Jacquemus actually tried to do something with the AF1. Though by adding the weaving detail to the sole, the collaborative sneaker doesn’t even look like an AF1 anymore.True to design but boring or experimental and ugly? The choice is yours.
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