New York clothing label and creative clubhouse LAAMS is set to release its first-ever sneaker collaboration with Nike this month.
Dubbed the LAAMS x Nike Air Force 1 Low “Please Post Bills,” the new sneaker arrives in a deep green woodgrain leather inspired by the construction walls seen around New York City that become home to layers of posters.
Key details of the shoe include the off-white Swoosh, which carries a soft baby blue drop shadow that mirrors the LAAMS logo. Plus, the tongue hides a woven Lower East Side map, one of LAAMS’ recurring motifs and a nod to the neighborhood that shaped every detail of the label since it was founded in 2020.
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Inside sits the Kyzer Kiss, a quiet tribute to one of the first artists who came up through the shop and a brother to the brand. And the insoles reveal a full collage of five years of LAAMS flyers from exhibitions, pop ups, releases, and late nights in the city, all designed by co-founder Joe Ro.
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“This is a huge deal for us to get a Nike collab, especially the Air Force One, which is the model we really wanted to work on,” Scott Selvin, co-founder of LAAMS told FN in an interview. “But Nike came to us and asked for the Air Force 1s specifically. So, we felt that this collab is meant to be.”
The packaging even carries significance for the company. The Nike two-tone box is reimagined in LAAMS green and wrapped in map-printed tissue. Neon stars mark the original sneaker spots downtown that paved the way for the culture LAAMS is continuing to honor.
“This detail really goes back to our history of sneaker collection,” Selvin said. “I’ve been collecting Air Forces, camping out on sneaker lines for almost 20 years. It’s kind of like what started all of it for me. So this detail was a really fun inclusion for me.”
Co-founder Stevie Baker reiterated that LAAMS approaches collaborations and product from a storytelling perspective.
“Everything we do usually starts with a story,” Baker said. “Even when it comes to some of the archive and vintage streetwear we sell at the story, everything has a meaning and a backstory behind it. That storytelling piece is always there for us.”
The Nike “Please Post Bills” Air Force 1 by LAAMS releases on December 6 for $125, with a limited amount available at 74 Orchard Street in New York and releasing on the Nike SNKRS app on Dec. 16.
The drop comes just days after LAAMS unveiled its winter collection, an apparel capsule that expands the world of the new sneaker.
The apparel collection features woodgrain panel tees with LAAMS stencil logos, a collegiate hoodie with woodgrain printed onto canvas appliqué, LAAMS woodgrain beanies, a “Please Post Bills” bandana that reimagines the brand’s staple green bandana, a woven woodgrain and map throw blanket, a woodgrain work jacket with chain stitch detailing, and a woodgrain leather belt embossed with the LAAMS stencil mark.
“This project with Nike has been so surreal,” Baker added. “We’re definitely very grateful for the opportunity.”