Virgil Abloh and Nike have joined in a creative collaboration to reissue The Ten: Nike Air Presto x Off-White. The Nike Limited Collection is a maximalist take on the early 2000s sneaker icon with additional design elements and Abloh signature touches (he’s already done bespoke Air Force 1s with Louis Vuitton) added to the cage and across the hill.

Expected to debut 3 August 2018 (Singapore), the Virgil Abloh x Nike The Ten Limited Collection featuring new interpretations of the classic Nike Air Presto takes the namesake “10” footwear icons from the brand’s design archives and releases them into the streets with Abloh’s trendy hautebeast aesthetic.

The Luxuo Editor’s favourite sneaker from The Ten limited collection – Ghosting series

Virgil Abloh x Nike The Ten Limited Collection

Virgil Abloh x Nike The Ten Limited Collection displays two distinctive capsule editions – Revealing and Ghosting, executed in Abloh’s own audacious style. Revealing essentially displays Abloh’s take on Nike classics like the Air Jordan, Air Max 90  and Blazer Mid showing off their signature silhouettes but with reworked labels and the inimitable Swooshes repositioned to great effect. Personally, I’m not sure what the red zip tie is for but overall, Abloh’s Nike redesign works from a visual level (even though I won’t be zip tying my kicks anytime soon).

Overall, the Virgil Abloh x Nike The Ten Revealing Limited Collection is as its name suggests – a reveal. Thus, the pared back design characteristics follow through from concept to execution, inspired by the Louis Vuitton Men’s Creative Director and Off-White Founder’s visit to Nike headquarters in 2017 where he worked on bespoke Air Force 1’s.

A highlight of The Ten Limited Collection

His first visit to the home of Nike birthed a bespoke Air Force 1 collection of prototypes worn by his Off-White team during Design Miami – casting light on the surgically crafted Air Force 1s with exposed inners and hand scribbled slogans.

Abloh, known largely for cultural referencing has taken to deliberate and obvious labelling of “shoelaces” and “AIR” on his Virgil Abloh x Nike The Ten Limited Collection sneakers – it’s humorous and a little sarcastic – but like the zip ties, it works from a position of theatricality.

Abloh’s Nike The Ten Ghosting Limited Collection comprises of Converse Chuck Taylor, Zoom Fly SP, Air Force 1 Low, React Hyperdunks and Air Max 97. Ghosting, as the name implies, uses translucent uppers for an out-of-this-world see-through appearance.

The 36 year old Louis Vuitton Men’s Creative Director has also worked with Kanye West and IKEA. According to Nike, The Ten Limited Collection s one of its fastest collaborations ever, with the 10 shoes designed and produced within 10 months from concept to market. According to Abloh, his choice of 2000s Nike classics was based on the large footprint Nike left during its dominant golden age.

The first five releases,  Air Jordan I, Nike Blazer, Nike Air Presto, Nike Air Max 90 and Nike Air VaporMax  will be pre-released at NikeLab in New York. Singapore is expected to see the Virgil Abloh x Nike The Ten Limited Collection in small batches starting 3 August 2018.

The full Ten Limited Collection will be available worldwide in November.