Nike’s ’01 Cut Air Force 1 Low Gets Knicks Championship Edition

As one of many New York Knicks-centric sneaker releases, Nike is taking advantage of the championship glow by using it as an occasion to revive an old construction of the Air Force 1 Low on a large-scale basis.

The Nike Air Force 1 Low ’01 “NYC” has launched through a pre-order basis Thursday exclusively through local retailers. Whereas the baseline Air Force 1 Lows have long used the ’07 build, this drop looks to how the sneaker appeared six years prior with a sleeker toe box, rounded heels, lower stature and more structured paneling. To many, such shifts are small — but the purists will be all over them.

Although primarily clad in white, this edition nods to the Knicks via select hits of blue and orange. Lateral Swooshes appear in blue and are countered by orange on the medial side, while the “Nike NYC” employs both colors on the tongue and mustache. “2026′ embroidery has also been added to the lateral heel in the two colors, while orange mini Swooshes above the toe and a blue outsole cap off the external flourishes. On the insole, however, you’ll find a pixelated photo of Madison Square Garden.

The AF1 is one of two Knicks sneakers that have gone up for pre-order on the day of the championship parade, the other being a revival of the Air Jordan 3 “Knicks” that first dropped in 2019. Knicks options were also added this week for custom Air Force 1 Lows on the Nike By You platform, and at the beginning of the NBA Finals Kith took pre-orders for an edition of the Air Max 95 that had previously only gone on sale in children’s sizes.

Nike employed the ’01 AF1 build in the spring on Nigo’s “L02” collaboration. The older construction wasn’t called out in the name, however, so only keen eyes noticed that change on the limited release. Leaks that began surfacing last week then indicated the cut will return with the classic “Triple White” treatment in the fall.

The Nike Air Force 1 Low ’01 “NYC” is available now to pre-order on the websites for Awake, Packer, Kith and Woodstack. Pricing is set at $140, and delivery will be fulfilled in October.