Nike & Stüssy partnered up to release a new plant dyed version of their latest Air Force 1 collaboration

In a collaborative effort last year, Nike joined forces with streetwear brand Stüssy to release a special edition Air Force 1 low to the public. The sneakers first released in a ‘Fossil Stone’ and all-black color way December last year and made a comeback last month in an exciting collaboration project with Los Angeles based art workshop Lookout & Wonderland. Instead of the classic white leather, the brand chose to construct the entire upper out of a hemp fabric.

HEMP

Hemp is a highly sustainable, low-impact crop that can be processed into fabric sustainably. Hemp comes from the cannabis Sativa plant, the same plant that is used for the production of marijuana. Industrial hemp, however, only contains a very small dose of the psychoactive component THC. Nevertheless, the material has suffered from a poor reputation because of the direct associations with cannabis and style and culture around it. Fortunately, the Nike Stüssy collaboration is another step in redeeming the image for the material. Compared to cotton, the growing of hemp requires half the amount of land and only a quarter of the water that is necessary for cotton. Furthermore, the crop is relatively good for the soil as it returns most of the nutrients back into it. Hemp is also a strong plant that usually doesn’t require harsh herbicides or pesticides to survive. The fabric is breathable, moisture-wicking, anti-bacterial, comfortable and durable, so I am excited and glad the material is getting attention.

LOOKOUT AND WONDERLAND

Lookout & Wonderland is a Los Angeles based center for the personal art practices, collaborative efforts and hand-crafted goods from Niki and Yusuke Tsukamoto. They founded the workshop in 2005 and have been utilizing fabrics that are grown with carbon capturing farming methods and sustainably grown plant-based dyes for their artwork and products. For this Nike and Stüssy collaboration, they took care of the dying process to create five unique, vibrant colorways that were very well received by the sneaker community. Choosing natural plant dyes over chemical ones also assures a positive environmental impact, because of the biodegradable, non-toxic and non-allergic material properties. Plant dyes are also antimicrobial, and they don’t contain harmful chemicals or carcinogenic components. This all helps to preserve human and environmental health.

The collection was released on January 29 in very small quantities through the Stüssy webstore.