The Nike Air Force 1 Low ‘404’ Sneaker Nods to Error Screens With a Blank Upper

Nike’s digital .Swoosh platform is preparing for the launch of its second-ever real-life sneaker.

The Nike Air Force 1 Low “404” is inspired by 404 pages and will be available to purchase only by .Swoosh members. The shoe’s upper has been rendered entirely smooth in blue patent leather, with no overlays or Swoosh or any of the other elements you’d usually expect to find. Instead, the following text is printed near the heel along with a .Swoosh logo: “404 Error. The upper you requested was not found. Try again.”

What does remain is the Air Force 1’s sole unit, which is rendered with a white midsole and translucent blue outsole.

Nike’s first .Swoosh sneaker to release in real life was also an Air Force 1 Low, as the black, white and blue sneaker took on a “This Is Not a JPEG” mark last fall invoking its metaverse connections. Only those who had purchased an Our Force 1 NFT earlier in the year for $19.82 were eligible to purchase. The company also has another NFT based enterprise in RTFKT, a digital sneaker studio Nike acquired at the height of the NFT craze, and which has released physical versions of the Air Force 1 Low and Dunk Low for token holders.

The Nike .Swoosh Air Force 1 Low “404” will release April 23. Eligibility will only be granted to those who sign up for .Swoosh by April 19, and the opportunity to purchase will then be doled out based on Nike’s Exclusive Access program, which takes into account information such as previous purchases and draw losses. Pricing is set at $150.

About the Author:

Ian Servantes is a Senior Trending News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.