Nike VaporWaffle x sacai

The rich tones and fine materials used on this Nike VaporWaffle x sacai sneaker make it an appealing footwear option. Designed as a continuation of the collaboration between the creative brands, its look is a mashup of earlier Nike colourways such as the Pegasus and the Vaporfly. This becomes clear from the very beginning as the sole unit takes on a composite design with a waffle tread across the forefoot and the edges of the midfoot. At the heel, the grip patterns switch to a series of closely packed ridges, and Nike branding has been embossed below the arch of the foot. While the whole of the outsole is black, the midsole comes in a contrasting bright white. It has been stacked into two layers of supportive foam that are separated through the back half of the shoe by a foam wedge in a slightly creamier shade of white. The top layer of foam then curls up and away from this wedge, giving the back of the sneaker a unique aesthetic.

A deep purple hue known as Dark Iris then coats most of the upper, from the nylon underlayer, which runs the length of the shoe, to the velvety suede overlays of the forefoot mudguard and eyestay. Dual laces in white and navy blue tie up through this wavy edged eyestay, with additional navy coloured effects emerging from its sides to decorate the nylon upper. Behind the laces, two canvas tongues have been placed atop one another, the first Dark Iris, the second white. Each displays its own label: the primary one featuring a Nike Sportswear logo with black writing and an orange swoosh, the secondary one a black Nike sacai logo with a classic look.

On the inner, a warm Campfire Orange tone coats the insole, which has a Dark Iris Nike sacai motif printed onto its surface. Surrounding it are white mesh walls that match the back of the secondary tongue above. Meanwhile, on the back of the shoe, a Dark Iris leather heel counter sits below a Campfire Orange tab that is also made from fine leather. The logo that merges the names of both brands together returns here in Dark Iris, and a piece of textile in the same colour runs up the centre of the heel, offering a loop pull tab at the top. A tiny black swoosh has been subtly added to its lower end, and two holes appear in the sides of the heel counter to enhance breathability around the back of the foot.

Reaching down each flank is a Campfire Orange swoosh with a narrow tail that emerges from beneath the leather heel counter. Two carefully stitched lines of Dark Iris thread travel up from the midsole to the eyestay on each sidewall, one curved that passes over the swoosh, the other straight and passing under it. Then, on the lateral side alone, another swoosh shows up. It is much larger than the others on the sneaker, stretching all the way from the heel counter to the notch in the forefoot mudguard and even touching the top edge of the midsole. Its hue is a dark navy blue that both goes well with the Dark Iris upper and contrasts beautifully against the Campfire Orange leather swoosh beside it, thus finishing off this collaborative sneaker with a captivating juxtaposition of colour.