Behind the Design:

Since 2001, Nike and Japanese retailer atmos have created classic, coveted sneakers, thanks to bold colour and material explorations that bridge the past and present. Last year, during a meeting in Portland, atmos' Hirofumi "Koji" Kojima and Hommyo Hidefumi were excited to learn about the revival of a vibrant 1994 runner, the Nike Air Max2 Light. They wanted to make it their most extreme collaboration yet.

Koji, Hommyo and Nike Sportswear designers created a new collection inspired by retro running gear and the intersection of various '90s subcultures. Koji, in particular, remembered a similar juxtaposition process from his youth—cutting and pasting magazine images onto his wall. The collection takes this collaged, '90s-focused approach to a jacket, trousers, a bag, a hat and two versions of the Air Max2 Light (one exclusive to atmos stores).

"The first Air Max2 Light colourway is a super-flashy and aggressive combination of colours, while the other one is a more modest, black-based colourway", says Koji, atmos' Creative Director, who helped identify 12 vintage apparel references for the shoe's patchwork. The shoe also features asymmetrical embroidery and screen-printing, pronounced stitching and a clear, plastic version of the original, jagged overlay. Laces come in orange, yellow and purple options.

"The 'Animal', 'Elephant' and 'Safari' are often remembered as [the main] atmos collaborations", says Koji. "For the atmos x Air Max2 Light, our challenge was to create the future of Air Max with different, modern designs that would surprise sneakerheads. I believe we have successfully created new impressions of Air Max, which are uniquely 'atmos' at the same time".