Kith and Ronnie Fieg Are Bringing Back One of Nike’s Most-Sought-After Sneakers

Kith, recipient of the 2016 Footwear News Achievement Awards Retailer of the Year, is teaming up with Nike for a limited-edition sneaker release that will have many feeling nostalgic.

To celebrate the opening of Kith’s Miami location, Fieg has partnered with Nike to release what he calls his “favorite shoe of all time” — the Nike Air Force 1 Low “Linen.” The tan, pink, and white sneakers were originally released as a Japan exclusive in 2001 as part of Nike’s fan-favorite “Concept Japan” range and have remained tucked away in the brand’s vaults ever since.

In order to capture the original appeal, Kith and Nike have pulled out all the stops to re-create a one-to-one retro that mimics everything from the grade of premium leather to the narrow shape seen on the “Linen” Air Force 1 Low 15 years ago.

Meanwhile, the sneaker’s launch will also call back to its regional availability in 2001 with a release exclusively at Kith’s new Miami location at 1931 Collins Ave. Beginning on the store’s grand opening on Friday, raffle opportunities will be presented on four different days over the course of the next two weeks.

“The timing was amazing, and I am beyond excited to be the one to help reintroduce my favorite shoe ever to the world. 2016 has been an incredible year, and I’ve been able to live out so many of my personal dreams,” Fieg wrote on Instagram.

According to a press release from Kith, this will be the only opportunity to obtain the “Linen” Nike Air Force 1 Low, and the shoes will have a wider release in the future.

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If you know me, you know my favorite shoe of all time is the AF1 Linen. Over a year ago I spoke with Nike about officially bringing back this grail. This shoe represents a different time for sneakers, a time before the game became commercialized. Back then it was about the hunt, and you either had to physically travel somewhere to get the pair you wanted, or you had to know someone who knew someone else that had them. I told the Swoosh that if these were to be brought back, they had to be done in a way that would honor its original release. Not only did the quality have to be perfect, but so did the way they are brought to market. Being a Japan exclusive in 2001, we agreed that they had to remain a shoe that wasn't sold online and was solely available in 1 place. Around this time I had begun work on another dream of mine – opening a Kith Miami flagship. The timing was amazing, and I am beyond excited to be the one to help reintroduce my favorite shoe ever to the world. 2016 has been an incredible year, and I've been able to live out so many of my personal dreams. Here goes another one. A Kith Miami global exclusive. Stay tuned to @kith for more info.

A post shared by Ronnie Fieg (@ronniefieg) on Nov 30, 2016 at 6:04pm PST