A collaboration steeped in history, the Air Max RK61 drops October 9, weaving aviation, Pan‐African identity, and modern dress-shoe design.
Summary
- Two colorways debut: “Coconut Milk” and “Black,” both featuring aviation references and hybrid dress-shoe structure.
- The name RK61 pays tribute to Air Afrique’s flight code “RK” and the airline’s founding in 1961.
- Launching globally for $210, available via Nike SNKRS and select retailers.
Nike and Air Afrique are introducing the Air Max RK61, a silhouette that reframes what a dress shoe can be. It’s not a sneaker pretending to be formal; it’s a hybrid, one foot in sport, one in elegance.
The design begins with a zip-up upper inspired by the Air Max Sunder, in two colorways: one in Coconut Milk, the other all Black. The sole features an Air unit shaped like engine intakes, an echo to flight. Small touches sharpen the concept: a zipper pull carries the Air Afrique logo, the sockliner’s jacquard nods to vintage airplane seats, and the outsole hides Morse code spelling “Air Afrique.”
“Air is more than literal travel,” says Ahmadou-Bamba Thiam, magazine editor and member of Air Afrique. He frames flight as transcendence, of cultures, histories, and independence. That sense of upward motion underlies every design choice in the RK61.
The name itself is symbolic. “RK” refers to Air Afrique’s original flight code. “61” is the year the airline was founded. Together they anchor the new silhouette in heritage.
Mark your calendars: the Air Max RK61 releases October 9. Price is set at $210 USD. It will be available globally through Nike SNKRS and select retailers.
