Nike’s futuristic Air Foamposite One sneaker has been released in colors of popular sports teams, covered in “Galaxy” prints and given metallic makeovers, yet the brand seems to always find new ways to reinvent the look of the ahead-of-its-time model. This is evident on a newly resurfaced sample colorway of the sneaker from 2018 which blends a Penny Hardaway theme with the team colors of one of Major League Baseball’s most enduring dynasties.
Recently shared by Portland-based consignment Index is a Nike Air Foamposite One “Yankees” sample. Taking its colors from the pinstripe uniform of New York’s beloved baseball team, the unreleased sneaker also draws from the model’s 2015 “Sharpie” release. That colorway featured a striped upper inspired by Hardaway’s practice of filling in the sneaker’s grooves with a black marker in order to skirt around the NBA’s uniform guidelines, which had strict regulations in the 1990s.
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Aside from the ’15 “Sharpie” style, Nike never revisited the striped look at retail, but this ’18 “Yankees” sample seems to indicate the brand was at least entertaining the idea.
Designed by Eric Avar and first released in 1997, the Air Foamposite One has trended on and off since its original launch. It reached peak popularity in the early 2010s with the release of styles such as the aforementioned “Galaxy” colorway and a collaboration with streetwear brand Supreme. In recent years, the sneaker has experienced yet another resurgence and has also inspired looks from other brands including Balenciaga.
The “Yankees” Air Foamposite One sample has rarely appeared on social media, and even less on the secondary market. It’s previously been shared by sample collectors @rcclientele3 and @iamdavidnyc before its latest appearance at Index. The Portland store has a size 9 in the unreleased “Midnight Navy/Wolf Grey/Sail” style listed for $3,500.