Nike Air Safari OG Black Monarch to Release in July – Footwear News

Leaked images have already revealed that Nike Air Safari-inspired colorways would be dropping across the basketball and running shoe range in late July to coincide with the Paris Olympics, and now it’s been confirmed that the actual source material will return in its original colorway.

The Nike Air Safari “Black/Monarch” brings back the original colorway of the shoe from 1987. Tinker Hatfield designed the shoe and came up with the idea of ​​bringing the animal print to the sneaker after seeing an ostrich-skin couch in New York. “I only remember one person who thought it was a good idea,” Hatfield told Nike on the Air Safari’s 30th anniversary. “Fashion” was still a really dirty word, we didn’t use it here.”

The revival of the Air Safari maintains its pioneering color scheme with black and brown leather and an ostrich-inspired pattern on the mudguard, heel, and collar. Nike last released the shoe in a “Black/Monarch” colorway in 2018, and no iteration of the Air Safari has been available since 2019.

Atmos helped bring the Air Safari back to life in 2003 with its first collaboration on the 15th anniversary Air Max 1. The Japanese boutique took inspiration from the OG Air Safari colorway for its Air Max 1. Many shoe enthusiasts consider it the best Air Max 1 of all time and it inspired numerous other releases, including several additional Atmos x Nike collaborations.

Following the Air Safari’s return, similar colorways will arrive on July 24th for the AlphaFly 3 and Nike’s GT series of basketball shoes.

The Nike Air Safari “Black/Monarch” is set to release on July 19th via the Snkrs app and select third-party retailers. Pricing is set at $140 USD.

About the author:

Ian Servantes is Senior News Editor for Footwear News, which specializes in sneaker coverage. He previously covered streetwear and sneakers for Input and Highsnobiety after pursuing a career in pop culture. He subscribes to the idea that “football is life” and doesn’t mind getting his shoes dirty.