Nike has partnered with Air Afrique, the Paris-based creative collective, to launch the Air Max RK61, a silhouette that bridges heritage, craftsmanship, and innovation. Blending sartorial elegance with Nike’s signature Air technology, the design evokes shared diasporic memories of travel while imagining new frontiers for cultural expression.

The shoe’s name is a tribute to the airline that inspired it. RK references the original Air Afrique’s flight code, while 61 nods to 1961, the year of its founding. More than footwear, the RK61 serves as a vessel of memory, honoring the airline’s legacy of connecting West African nations with the broader diaspora.

The silhouette draws inspiration from the Air Max SNDR and timeless moccasin forms, resulting in a refined upper that channels elegance while grounded in comfort. Design details are layered with symbolism: an Air Max unit shaped like a jet engine, morse code spelling out Air Afrique on the outsole, a zipper pull featuring the airline’s original logo, and a jacquard sock liner reminiscent of vintage aircraft seating.

“The notion of Air is deeply connected to our history,” says Ahmadou-Bamba Thiam, a member of the Air Afrique collective and editor of its magazine. “Air Afrique, the airline itself, took to the skies to transcend cultures and newly independent African peoples. We also speak of Air as a symbolic elevation through culture and humanity. This concept was our starting point and central to creating the elegant silhouette of the Air Max RK61.”

Air Afrique’s rebirth as a creative collective is itself an act of cultural preservation. Founded in 2021 by Lamine Diaoune, Djiby Kebe, Jeremy Konko, and Ahmadou-Bamba Thiam, the group transformed the airline’s history into a multidisciplinary platform for Afro-diasporic expression. Rooted in visual arts, cinema, and photography, the collective connects communities through shared memory, creativity, and cultural exchange.

For lead designer Jupiter Desphy, the RK61 is about honoring this legacy while reinterpreting it for a new generation. “The opportunity to travel should be available to everyone,” he explains. “Meeting new people, seeing distant relatives, and gaining exposure to different cultures shapes our worldview in meaningful ways. We wanted to respect an era of movement many people may not be familiar with, in the form of a shoe that articulates these ideas and emotions.”

The project builds on Air Afrique and Nike’s earlier collaboration, the Air Afrique Football Club campaign, and continues their commitment to intentional partnerships. “We are very deliberate about who we work with, making sure we uphold the Air Afrique name,” says Thiam. “Nike is a universal brand with a cultural platform that has always resonated with us. There is intention and distinction in every Nike innovation, and that connects directly to our story.”

The Air Max RK61 comes to life through Première Classe, a campaign conceived as both ode and boarding call. Referencing early 20th-century advertising while leaning into contemporary themes of comfort and elegance, the campaign highlights figures of Afro-diasporic excellence across generations. Football legend Didier Drogba, Malian singer Oumou Sangaré, sprinter Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith, and Mme Daba Traoré, a former employee of the original airline, embody Air as both movement and metaphor. Their presence underscores the intergenerational strength and cultural resonance that Air Afrique continues to inspire.

The Nike x Air Afrique Air Max RK61 will be available globally on October 9 through SNKRS and select retail partners, offering not just a shoe, but a story of connection, memory, and elevation.

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