There’s a thing that Nike does sometimes where, despite lacking the official license to make a branded shoe, they just pick a very obvious colour scheme, let fans give them a nickname, and run with it anyway. It’s worked on everything from Doraemon to Gundam, and next month it’s taking on Star Wars.
This is one of my favourite sneakers of all time, the Presto Mid Utility (more famously known lately for its Acronym collabs), dressed in a colourway that is officially known as “Carbon Green/Black-Ghost-Pollen,” but which has already and predictably been labelled the “Boba Fett.” But it’s not the only one. There are actually three pairs in this line coming, all of them using the same shoe and all of them inspired by...that scene in Empire Strikes Back when Vader has all the Bounty Hunters lined up?
The second pair, above, are “Darth Vaders” (all-black is usually a winner, but that silver heel might be a little much), while the third (below) and potentially even nicer than the Boba Fetts, are already known as “Bossk”:
Note that Nike doesn’t have the Star Wars license. Adidas does, and they’ve spent the last few years releasing some over-branded, corny as shit stuff that looks marketed purely to 9 year-olds and the comic book guy from The Simpsons. Nike’s shoes here are just, for legal purposes, a collection of sneakers that just happen to all have some very particular themes and colourways in common.
For Nike to come out like this and release a whole line of Star Wars-inspired shoes, right at a point when Adidas’ efforts have been ridiculed by sneakerheads, definitely feels like more than just a tribute, it feels like a statement.
All three pairs are scheduled for release in November 2021, and being general release shoes might actually be pretty easy to get your hands on!