Our Top 8 Nike x sacai Collaborations

Nike x sacai is a partnership that's gone down in history as one of the best ever. Taking some of the Oregon-based brand's most-loved silhouettes and switching them up to create eye-catching and historic kicks that every sneakerhead lusts over is quite a feat.

In case you didn’t know, the first collaborations between Chitose Abe’s brand and Nike came in the form of women’s-exclusive Air Max 90s and Dunks back in 2015, although since then, the collab has gone from strength to strength, making the releases some of the most desirable and coveted of all time. The initial drops received mixed reviews, and whilst Japan loved them, the rest of the world wasn’t so sure. It wasn’t until 2018 when we first laid eyes on the sacai x Nike LDWaffle and sacai x Nike Blazer that people started to go crazy. Paris Fashion Week saw sacai’s (now) trademark features take to the runway, and everyone fell in love.

What sacai did that others had been too scared to do before was take features from different Nike silhouettes and splice them together to create something brand new. For example, the LDWaffle draws inspiration from the LDV and Waffle Racer, yet reveals new features such as the doubled-up lace unit, shadowed Swooshes and layered tongues. Having got the attention of other brands such as Jun Takahashi of UNDERCOVER and CLOT, it’s clear that many want a piece of the Nike x sacai pie.

We must admit that we’re fans of all Nike and sacai’s collaborative pairs, but we’ve made a list of our top eight to narrow it down. From the LDWaffle, to the VaporWaffle, there’s a slice of something here for everyone. Did we miss your favourite? Let us know over on our Twitter page @thesolewomens.

Making the list is the aforementioned three-way partnership between CLOT, sacai and the Swoosh Brand. Nicknamed the LDWaffle “Kiss of Death”, this LDWaffle saw a match made in heaven with the neutral beige body and bright orange and green tones. The brands have now released a new version, the CLOT x sacai x Nike LDWaffle Grey Blue, which takes on grey and green tones, but we have to admit we have a soft spot for the bright colours on this pair. A mixture of materials, including luxe suede and breathable mesh construct the body, whilst underfoot a double layer of red and orange midsoles extend further than the heel of the sneaker, a feature that’s been copied, chopped and changed since.

Following on from this, we have a much more subtly toned LDWaffle, the sacai x Nike LDWaffle Nylon “Triple White”. An essential for any shoedrobe, this white kick stole the hearts of many. The gold aglets are a lovely touch, and add that hint of premium to the sneaker.

After the release of the LDWaffle, Abe switched up the silhouette and released the VaporWaffle in a number of colourways. One of our favourites is the Vaporwaffle "Villain Red” iteration, which takes burgundy and green suede overlays, creamy mesh and a hint of blue on the secondary Swoosh to create something really special. What differs predominantly between the LDWaffle and the VaporWaffle is the double-stacked midsole. Both sneakers see it extend further than the heel, but where the lines of the LDWaffle extend in a perpendicular fashion, the VaporWaffle parts to resemble a shape that reminds us of fish lips.

One of the first colourways of this brand-new silhouette was the simplistic, but definitely not boring, Vaporwaffle "Black White". Monochrome is always going to be a win, so there was nothing to complain about when it came to this pair. In a similar fashion, upcoming is the sacai x Nike VaporWaffle Sail, an all-white iteration that is completed with a gum outsole for maximum effect. We are definitely looking forward to this pair releasing! You can find out more about how to cop here. Unlike the black and white pair, this “Sail” colourway is built from suede and nylon, rather than mesh.

Taking a step away from the Waffle silhouettes now and moving onto the Blazer. A fan favourite, the Nike Blazer belongs in the shoedrobes of many sneakerheads, which is even better when they release them with special sacai features. Coming in both a Blazer Mid and Low, we love the “Iron Grey” Low iteration and the Sacai x Nike Blazer Mid White Grey. Both coming with two sets of laces and shadowed Swooshes, these are some futuristic Blazers that stole the hearts of many upon release.

Finally, we’re finishing on another three-way collaboration between sacai and fragment design. This collaboration came with two releases, the Fragment x Sacai x Nike LDWaffle Grey White and the fragment design x sacai x Nike LDWaffle Navy Black, we have to admit that the “Grey” just sneaks in the top eight for us. Built from extremely premium materials, this fragment x sacai special was extremely sought-after - and it’s easy to see why. So easy to style and versatile for every season, this LDWaffle is worthy of a place in your shoedrobe.

Did we cover all your favourite sacai x Nike sneakers? Let us know over on our Twitter page if you would add any more! If you’re interested in our top guides, then why not check out our favourites from Virgil Abloh’s Off-White x Nike Dunk “The 50” collection?