Images of Nike’s upcoming collaboration with Hello Kitty have surfaced online, and it’s shaping up to be one of their most garish releases this year.
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At face value, this might just seem like another throwaway collab, but in reality, the lore surrounding the shoe goes all the way back to 2004. Nike had called upon legendary footwear designers Steven Smith and Hiroshi Fujiwara to honour Hello Kitty’s 30th anniversary with a series of extremely limited Air Presto’s. After numerous setbacks, the proposed 500-pair release was reportedly curtailed to just 12 ‘family and friends’ samples, which are now amongst the holiest of grails in the sneaker world - most recently selling for $3,000 at Sean Wotherspoons’ Round Two.
Fast forward 18 years, and the Nike x Hello Kitty Air Presto is finally getting the wider release it deserves. Using the Air Presto as the collaborative canvas sees Hello Kitty’s head plastered across the entirety of the ‘University Blue’ uppers, with the mascot seamlessly being worked into the heel panel, alongside a red bow that sits on the tongue. The shoe is finished off with a tonal, Nike Alpha Project ‘5 dot’ logo on the lateral side of the heel.
We are also being treated to a co-branded, white t-shirt and blue pair of sweatpants, the latter of which matches the sneakers, in both colour and print.
The Nike x Hello Kitty collection will reportedly release on May 2nd, with the Air Presto being priced at $140.
