Update, October 10: Nike has added the shoe to SNKRS with a date and price, Thursday, October 22 at $150, so it moves from rumour to our release calendar.
The NIGO x j-hope x Nike Air Force 1 ’01 in Burnt Sunrise and Metallic Gold is now a dated SNKRS launch: Thursday, October 22 at 10:00 ET, $150, style code IO8766-800. That settles the date question every outlet was still calling “Holiday 2026” a fortnight ago.
What the shoe is
It’s an Air Force 1 ’01, the slimmer 2001 shape, co-designed by NIGO and BTS’s j-hope. Nike frames it as early-90s Tokyo meeting today’s K-pop, in a look Nike’s copy calls “hobicore”. The upper is glossy, enamel-like leather in Burnt Sunrise, with Metallic Gold and brown panels, Chlorine Blue accents and thick braided rope laces.
The squirrel is the signature detail: an embroidered one sits on the lateral heel, and squirrel graphics run across the sockliner. Nike says it stands for j-hope’s energy. The tongue tags carry j-hope and NIGO branding in Chlorine Blue, and a thin blue stripe runs either side of the AIR on the sail midsole.
It follows the HUMAN HOPE apparel the two made through NIGO’s Human Made label.
Release date and price
- US: Thursday, October 22, 10:00 ET, on Nike’s SNKRS listing, $150.
- UK: Nike’s UK launch page wasn’t live when we checked, so no confirmed UK date or £ price yet.
- Human Made: Sneaker Bar Detroit reports an earlier Human Made release on October 17. Nike’s listing doesn’t mention it and we haven’t seen it on Human Made’s own site, so treat that date as reported only.
How hard it’ll be to get
Nike’s page doesn’t say how the launch works yet, but a BTS member and NIGO on one AF1 pulls in two big audiences at once, and SNKRS usually runs collabs like this as a draw rather than first-come. Expect to enter on the day and be ready for a loss.
Check the SNKRS app on the morning of the 22nd: the entry window and draw details normally appear there before the launch time. More from the brand on our Nike page.
