Brand: Nike

Model: Air Kukini “Triple Black”

Buy: Nike’s webstore

Editor’s Notes: Nike is really pushing the Kukini agenda, with no help from a particular California streetwear brand (cough, cough Stüssy).

After dropping the leopard-printed Air Kukini SE, Nike prepares to issue an all-black colorway for its next drop.

The Nike Air Kukini “Triple Black” serves up big Venom energy, as its achromatic nature and matching spidey web overlay remind me of the Marvel anti-hero figure.

The forthcoming dark-sided Kukini model is also reminiscent of Junya Watanabe COMME des GARÇONS‘ early 2000s Air Kukini collab, which included an all-black color offering with a cream translucent Air sole unit.

The Air Kukini silhouette debuted in 2000 as a part of Nike’s Alpha Project, which also birthed models like the Air Flightposite and Air Presto.

Nike makes a point to emphasize the Kukini’s origins with the upcoming “Triple Black” colorway, bringing back the shoe in its OG form and stamping it with Alpha Project’s five-dot logo.

Since its retro in the 2010s, the Kukini has been pretty much missing from the sneaker scene, that is until Stüssy got its hands on the model in 2020 and churned out the Air Zoom Spiridon Kukini — blending the Air Zoom Spiridon and Air Kukini into one sneaker.

The Kukini has always carried an underdog status and meager band of followers due to its disruptive webbed lace-free design. So, aside from praise from the model’s limited diehard devotees, reactions to recent Kukini drops have been just as quiet as its return to the sneaker sphere.

Nonetheless, the Air Kukini is slowly hitting the scene again as Nike paces its comeback, continuing to boost the Kukini initiative with the soon-come “Triple Black” release.

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A seemingly plain mix of black, white, and brown worked wonders on the Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG back in 2020. Called the “Dark Mocha“, that release was an instant hit among Jordan fans of all sizes, mounting up to one of the most popular releases of the year. In 2022, the three colors convene once more on the Air Jordan 1 Mid, although far different from that epic drop two years ago.

Based on these first look images, the shade of brown is less a Mocha and more of a standard milk chocolate brown. The color-blocking also follows the “Bred Toe” look where the toe-box matches the heel and ankle collar. The tongue, typically in black nylon, is a matching brown in a cotton-like fabric, while the upper appears to be a twill-like material. The interior is a softer padding, the lace eyelets feature an embroidered circle, and even the Swoosh comes in completely different as it has a build similar to the Stussy Air Force 1s.

Not much else is known about this Air Jordan 1, so check out the first look images here and stay tuned.

Photos: die_sel666