The Nike Air Force 1 Mid "Panda" Takes Its Inspiration Quite Literally

At the end of last year, The Sole Supplier predicted that the AF1 Mid will be playing a massive role in 2022, and it looks like things are starting to roll into place. With the return of 1997's "Independence Day" and Stüssy and Off-White collaborations on the cards, we're now taking our first look at the special edition Nike Air Force 1 Mid "Panda" - and it takes its inspiration quite literally.

Over the past few months we've seen the release of colourways like the Dunk High "Panda", but nothing has been influenced by the adorable animal as much as this Air Force 1. Celebrating the iconic basketball shoe's 40th anniversary, this pair pays homage to pandas, more specifically, the ones located in Tokyo's Ueno Zoo.

Working on top of a fluffy white sherpa base, fuzzy black suede embraces the toebox, heel, and midfoot strap. A premium leather Nike Swoosh shoots across the laterals and a jewelled version graces the medials. To round it all off, the insoles are decorated with panda graphics and Japanese characters, and this is reflected onto the transparent outsole too, finalising the design.

Not much else is known about the Nike Air Force 1 Mid Culture Day "Panda" at this moment in time, but according to our sources, April 27th is the day of launch. Let us know what you think of this cute and cuddly colourway, and in related news, the Off-White x Nike Air Force 1 "Green" is dropping this summer... but there's a catch!