Nike and Japanese retailer Atmos started to tease their Air Max2 Light collaboration a little over a month ago, and yet all this time they’ve been keeping news of the sneakers’ accompanying apparel collection — the real star of the show — quiet. We’ve got to say, we’re really digging the apparel in this collection, which, aside from the shoes, consists of track jackets, sweaters, t-shirts, and track pants inspired by the Air Max2 Light’s vibrant aesthetic.
Rounding out the capsule collection is a patchwork tote bag and cap which work as a nice contrast to the more subdued designs of the apparel collection and match the wild pattern of the sneakers.
Diving into the collection’s centerpiece, The Air Max2 Light’s design is frankly way too loud and excessive for most folks. It’s fresh if you can pull it off, but if you have to question that, you probably can’t. The patchwork upper is too busy for our liking and though we enjoy the colorful 90s aesthetic we can’t help but feel they went a little off the rails here.
On a positive note, the translucent overlay is an inspired design touch that has the interesting effect of leading your eyes to sketch out the iconic Air Max2 Light silhouette, reigning in some of the excesses of the shoe’s colorful upper.
The 90s-inspired running shoe was first seen being worn by Atmos creative director Hirofumi Kojima at ComplexCon, where the shoes instantly caught the eye of sneakerheads and got fashion sites buzzing. But in our opinion, the black and pink track jackets steal the show. In fact, they’re so dope that Nike and Atmos could’ve just dropped the jackets and called it a day.
The Nike Air Max2 Light Atmos capsule collection is set to drop on March 23rd exclusively through the Atmos online store.
