A complete history of sacai x Nike collaborations The evolution of colorways and silhouettes from the debut in 2015 to today
Japanese brand sacai and Nike collaborations have truly taken the sneaker world by storm, most notably when the much loved sacai x Nike LDWaffle initially debuted in 2019. Contrary to popular assumption, and due to her lowkey nature, it is not widely known that sacai was actually founded and directed by a female Japanese designer, Chitose Abe. Since 1999, Abe has been honing her art and establishing her namesake brand. In turn, she has been able to create a label that seamlessly synergizes women's and men's streetwear through a high fashion lense, in a way that has had a huge impact on how we perceive women in the fashion and sneaker industry. Through her garments and footwear, she has become a prominent voice and inspiration to the next generation of designers. So it’s important now more than ever that we recognise there is a power-woman, designer and mother behind the Japanese label.
Sacai and Nike are far from losing momentum. Last year, it was announced that Abe would take over the Jean Paul Gaultier label for the Autumn/Winter 2020 Couture collection. Sacai has now officially revealed that the two colorways of the trio's joint footwear will be available at the end of September. And for the first time, the chunky low-top silhouette gets upgraded to a mid top. Thick white leather stitches extend along the entire side panels and collar, similar to that of a baseball glove, veering even further from the original VapourWaffle design.
Besides the two Fragment colorways, Chitose Abe will be releasing not one, not two, but five new collaborative pairs of the coveted LDWaffle in the near future. If you liked the two upcoming Fragment designs, you'll love what's to come. With three vibrant versions with UNDERCOVER and two of CLOT, we should all be able to get our hands on at least one pair!
It's been a long journey, but we've finally reached the end of the extensive Nike and sacai collaborative sneaker catalog, or at least the official iterations. Of course this timeline could not be concluded without a few honorable mentions. In 2020, sacai donated two custom pairs of Nike LDWaffles to the La Mode S'Engage charity in support of the French #ProtegeTonSoignant initiative for coronavirus relief. On the sides of the special sneaker are stitched the phrases "#ProtegeTonSoignant," which translates to "Protect Your Caregiver." Both pairs were auctioned off, with all proceeds going toward providing medical equipment to French hospitals and healthcare workers.
Before the official KAWS x sacai sneakers were introduced, KAWS personally imprinted his signature motif on a nylon black and white pair of the LDWaffle. This duo was made to support Free Arts NYC, a non-profit organization that provides mentorship and art education to marginalized youth. KAWS is no stranger to donating to the Free Arts; just a month ago, he gave his $250,000 "What Party" sculpture to their raffle, where fans could enter to win for $100. Sacai then matched the first 500 donation entries up to $50,000. The sneakers, which were auctioned off as part of the non-21st profit's annual fundraiser, featured cartoonish X-marked eyes on the heel and a sharpie-ink smiley on the midsole. Not to forget, Sacai Vapour Waffles' cleanest colorway ever appears in lush, creamy tones.
Those who were lucky enough to get an early pair, such as @wideawakearthquake on Instagram, have already styled them perfectly, making us all jealous. This colourway is covered in white leather on the upper and off-white suede with leather overlays. A gum waffle outsole is used below to match its sandy beach palette. Unfortunately, no release date has been confirmed, nor has there been any indication of one, so we will have to keep it in the back of our minds for the time being.
