A CERTIFIED JAPANESE CULT CLASSIC: THE NIKE AIR KUKINI
For many, the Nike Air Kukini may seem like a wild silhouette that was recently released as an ode to the early 2000s and Y2K aesthetic, but to many sneakerheads and especially the Japanese market, these are quite the throwback. As the new millennium was around the corner, Nike launched the Alpha Project, a program that focused on pushing the boundaries of sneaker performance and design which meant a bevy of unique models were soon to follow.
The Nike Air Kukini was a prime example of what was in store from the Alpha Project as it exemplified everything Nike was trying to achieve with this new program. Released to the public in 2000, the Air Kukini took a much more futuristic approach than the typical Nike sneakers at the time with its laceless construction and unique webbed overlay across the entire shoe.
Old Nike Air Kukini advertisement
The sneaker was worked on by Sean McDowell, the creator of the Air Max Plus, alongside triathlete Mark Allen to create a shoe that was both innovative performance-wise as well as aesthetically. The web design came from a speed suit design worn by Olympic skier Picabo Street in 1998 but the technical aspects went a number of different ways before the official debut. One of the earliest prototypes featured a perforated outsole to allow for better water drainage but in the end, an array of running shoe tech such as Max Air cushioning was seen as a better option for running and sports use. In the end, Nike didn’t completely scrap the idea as the perforated version was later released in 2003.
While this all sounds exciting and unique, a major issue for the Air Kukini was that the Alpha Project released the Air Presto at the same time and quickly washed the former out of the minds of the western market. As the webbed sneaker faded into obscurity in the American market, it was simultaneously finding a home for itself across the world in Japan, gathering a cult following for itself.
Sneaker culture in Japan has always been much different to this side of the world and because of that, they’ve received tons of exclusive colourways, collabs and models over the years. In the mid-90s, there was a boom in technical sneakers in Japan with the release of the Air Max 95 due to its low stock and once the Alpha Project commenced, a second boom was underway. The technical aspects of the Air Kukini, in-your-face patterns, and the sheer easiness to get the shoes on and off made them a hit and meant an array of co.jp colourways would come out exclusively in Japan.
On top of all of the design aspects that pulled the Japanese market in, the Kukini’s popularity was amplified with cosigns from prominent streetwear legends such as Hiroshi Fujiwara, a collab with Junya Watanabe and even an exclusive Japan-only collaboration with Coca-Cola for the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
An ad for the Nike Air Kukini inside a Japanese magazine
Regardless of all the hype, even in Japan, the Air Kukini would eventually leave Nike’s rotation. With glimpses of a revival in the early 2010s, a Free Sole model would release in 2012 along with many other retro Nike models but they wouldn’t create anywhere near the same impact as the original pairs did. The Alpha Project OGs would have to wait nearly a decade later to finally receive some more love with a collab with the legendary streetwear brand, Stussy in 2020. The collaborative model took the shoe in a brand new direction as it combined the upper of the Air Kukini with the midsole of Zoom Spiridon 2 to create the Nike x Stussy Air Zoom Spiridon Kukini (Yeah, very original.)
Although the Nike x Stussy model combined two silhouettes into one, it kickstarted the reintroduction of the Kukini as the Japanese cult classic hit shelves again in 2022. Not straying away from the original intentions, the rerelease featured colourways that stand out amongst the crowd with leopard print, colourful gradients and unique geometric shapes. For those who like to be a little more lowkey, Nike got the message this time with calmer colourways such as full black, beige & grey, and more.
