Who’s Ready for a Nike Air Rift Revival?
The is a decidedly weird shoe. And that’s the exact reason why it has a cult following, despite regularly missing the limelight of the brand’s retro offering. Maybe it’s down to the fact it came out in the middle of the 1990s at a time the Swoosh was at its most prolific with innovative design, but, it still has a loyal fanbase. While it’s always been a left field choice for most, the brand does still serve the niche by keeping it in the product range, such as this upcoming white and neon option.
SF have covered the interesting history of the Air Rift , but the following is the abridged version. The shoe is named after the Great Rift Valley running through Kenya, and was an early Nike design that sought to replicate running barefoot. Of course, it’s a little bit more cushioned and protective than later designs, but it was an important step towards Nike Free. The design was created circa 1995 and inspired by Japanese tabi footwear, whereby a free-moving big toe allowed better control.
This new colourway emphasises that feature with its bright white and neon yellow neoprene colourway, and a big embroidered Swoosh right above the toe split. They’ll be arriving in coming months.