You read that right.
In late January, Nike gave two of its classic shoes—Air Force 1 and Blazer Mid ‘77—a hemp makeover. And now, the company has added another hemp shoe to the mix—a modified version of the Air Force 1 ‘Hemp’ shoe, Hypebeast reports.
The Blazer Mid ‘77 and both versions of the Air Force 1s are mostly made with hemp woven fabric, except for the soles, which are made from recycled materials.
According to the Nike website, shoes that have a “sustainable materials” label mean they’re “made with at least 20% recycled content by weight,” using materials like sustainable cotton, recycled nylon and polyester, flyknit, and flyleather.
The main differences between the shoes appear to be the color schemes and designs.
The Air Force 1 “Hemp” shoes that dropped in January are fully knitted with a design of orange, blue, and lime-colored panels. It also has a bright green insole, according to Hypebeast.
The Blazer Mid “Hemp” is offered in a white knit with “‘Barley’ overlays on the forefoot and an orange heel tab. It also has embroidered accents with a painted blue swoosh on each side,” Hypebeast reported.
The newest edition of the Air Force 1 “Hemp,” which is set to drop soon, is also fully knitted; however, the color is more subdued with an off-white hue and pops of colors throughout. The shoe also features a red-orange knitted swoosh on the laterals, “lime green padded tongues and insoles and baby blue heel tabs,” Hypebeast reported.
The word “HEMP” is also imprinted on the tongue tab of the shoes, accompanied by the swoosh logo.
Sustainability Through Partnerships
This isn’t Nike’s first foray into hemp shoes. The company has partnered with other apparel and shoe manufacturers to create more sustainable products in the past.
In August 2020, the company partnered with the UK-based retailer called size?, a global supplier of footwear and clothing, to launch the “Nike Air Zoom Type ‘Hemp’” shoe, a limited-edition hemp-textile sneaker. The shoe is now selling on third-party websites like Flight Club and GOAT for over $250.
For the Air Zoom Type rendition, size? said in a blog post that it drew “influence from minimalist Japanese design and built the pair with hemp across its uppers for a raw, natural aesthetic.”
And in late 2020, Nike launched a limited-edition Air Force 1 Low hemp shoe in collaboration with the American clothing brand Stüssy, Ottawa Citizen reported. The shoe launched in two colors, “Fossil Stone” and “Black,” in December 2020 and is now retailing on third-party websites for upwards of $600.
Nike’s “Hemp” shoes are part of its sustainability “Move to Zero” series, which is the company’s “journey toward zero carbon and zero waste to help project the future of sport,” according to its website.
