You’ve seen them nailed to fences around vacant lots. Plywood sheets are slapped up overnight and splashed with paint drips. They are layered with torn posters and stamped with warnings like “Post No Bills.” The LAAMS x Nike Air Force 1 turns that raw visual language into wearable art. Forget polished perfection – this shoe celebrates the rough edges of downtown Manhattan.
Scott Selvin’s Lower East Side shop opened in 2020 as a creative sanctuary. Artists, skaters, writers, and thinkers all found a place there. Three floors stacked with energy, not inventory. Now, through a rare Nike collaboration, that same spirit is stepping onto global feet. The Air Force 1 they designed doesn’t shout. It whispers street poetry.
Green dominates the upper, but not just any green. Look closer. Grain runs beneath the surface, mimicking weathered construction wood. That texture isn’t just for show. It’s documentary. It’s captured from corners where flyers flutter and tags bloom despite official orders. Off-white midsoles and Swooshes ground the look without softening its attitude.
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Neon green flashes under the heel. A light blue ghost hovers above the side logo. Small moves, big impact. The lace tags carry LAAMS branding. The insoles echo the theme. Even the box feels intentional – not flashy, but true to the project’s roots. Only two thousand pairs exist. This scarcity honors the underground ethos it represents.
For context, LAAMS operates differently than typical sneaker boutiques. Its three-story space functions as a cultural hub where graffiti artists, designers, and the broader creative community gather. Rather than being dropped into the neighborhood, Selvin built something that feels essential to it.
The Nike partnership validates LAAMS’s efforts since its opening. Major brands take note of those who build authentic communities, and they reward them. This Air Force 1 proves that staying focused on your mission will eventually get noticed.
On December 6th, there will be an in-store drop at 74 Orchard Street. One week later, SNKRS will make it more widely available. If you miss it? You’ll regret it. These won’t be restocked. They’re meant to be hunted, treasured, and worn hard.
This is New York, captured in leather and rubber. Not the postcard version. The real one. It smells like wet concrete after rain and sounds like spray cans rattling in alleyways. LAAMS didn’t design just any sneaker. They bottled a block.
