Nike created a design in the form of an Air Force 1 in honor of one of the most iconic Street Fighter III showdowns during the fighting game tournament EVO, which has now resurfaced after being dormant for years.
EVO’s director of business development, Mark Julio, yearned for a collaboration with the sportswear behemoth and eventually met with Nike’s Hayden Walling in 2019. Julio and the Nike team agreed to further allude to the entire fight game community with the design as they laid out the story, using the EVO Moment #37 as the foundation.
The shoe features key elements as a nod to Daigo Umehara’s comeback against Justin Wong. His 15-hit streak is commemorated on the shoe’s inner tongue label, with the “Blue Void” hue mirrored on the insert, heel tab, and rubber outsole.
The rest of the uppers are dressed in “White Fossil” with a layer of lateral Swooshes to complete the Street Fighter III look. Lace dubraes and spikey eyelets gleam from the laces, while a Sea Blue hue lines the “AIR” accent on the midsole’s backfoot.
To secure a pair, head over to StockX, GOAT, or a nearby store if you’re in the US or Japan.
