
For our latest sneaker concept, we have taken the Air Force 1 and completely transformed it, by adding a detailed pattern to the sides. More specifically, we have chosen to add a dragon pattern, which we have done once before, but this time we have done so on a much darker upper, that is, therefore, better suited for poor weather. If this interests you, check out how it went above and read more about our thought process below.
Our sneaker concept is made up of a grey nubuck upper, with the laces and tongue matching in the same shade of grey. Black details are present on the shoe’s branding, such as the Nike Swoosh on the sides of the shoe and the Nike Air branding on the tongue tag, as well as on the leather eyestay overlay and lining. The upper is then paired with an entirely black sole. The most important detail on the shoe, however, is the dragon pattern on the middle panel on each side of the shoe, which comes in jade green with red detailing, on top of the grey nubuck that becomes a background.
The last time we used a dragon pattern on an Air Force 1, we decided to go for a Chicago-style colorway, using black, white, and red on the shoes, however, this time around we have gone for a very different approach. Keeping our shoe much darker, we chose to replace the white and red, with grey detailing, choosing to saturate the color exclusively on the dragon pattern. In doing so, we were able to keep the dragon pattern as the main focus of the shoe, as well as provide an interesting color scheme, that looks great but is much less common on shoes these days.
Serving as important imagery to many cultures around the world, Dragons have been heavily present in artwork for hundreds of years, hence why it still has such a strong connection to fashion today. There are few designs as pretty as a dragon, and by limiting the design to the sides of the shoe, it is prevented from overpowering the shoes. This way our eyes are still given somewhere to rest and can focus on the pannels with the dragon pattern on them, without having to look too closely to figure out what it is.