Nike has teamed up with Paris-based collective Air Afrique to launch the Air Max RK61, a silhouette that fuses heritage, craft, and innovation into a dress-shoe inspired design shaped by shared memories of travel.
The sneaker’s name honors Air Afrique, the airline that once connected West African nations and the diaspora: “RK” references the airline’s flight code, while “61” marks its founding year.
Drawing inspiration from the classic Air Max SNDR and timeless moccasin styles, the RK61 combines elegance with the comfort of Nike’s signature Air Max technology. Aviation cues are found throughout: a jet engine–inspired Air unit, morse code spelling “Air Afrique” on the outsole, a zipper pull with the original airline logo, and a jacquard sock liner reminiscent of vintage aircraft seats.
“The notion of Air is deeply connected to our history: Air Afrique, the airline itself, took to the skies to transcend cultures and newly independent African people,” says Ahmadou-Bamba Thiam, a member of the Air Afrique collective and editor of its magazine. “We also speak of Air as a symbolic, metaphorical elevation through culture and humanity. This concept was really our starting point for the product design and was central to creating the elegant silhouette of the Air Max RK61.”
In 2021, four creatives, Lamine Diaoune, Djiby Kebe, Jeremy Konko, and Ahmadou-Bamba Thiam, brought new life to the Air Afrique name, turning its aviation history into a multidisciplinary cultural platform. Today, Air Afrique covers visual arts, cinema, and photography, creating connections across the Afro-diasporic community.
“This project is meant to bring out the rich history of Air Afrique, highlighting what the airline represented as an achievement for the continent and the people of those West African nations, domestic and abroad,” says Jupiter Desphy, the silhouette’s lead designer. “The opportunity to travel should be available to everyone, and the ability to meet new people, see distant relatives and gain exposure to different cultures forms our worldview in a meaningful way. As a team, we wanted to show respect to an era of movement many people may not be familiar with, in the form of a shoe that articulates these ideas and emotions.”
The Air Max RK61 is introduced through the Première Classe campaign, which channels early 20th-century airline advertising with a contemporary spin.
The campaign features legendary and intergenerational figures including football icon Didier Drogba, Malian singer Oumou Sangaré, sprinter Marie Josée Ta Lou-Smith, and Mme Daba Traoré, a former Air Afrique employee. Together, they embody the cultural and historical strength that inspires the design.
The Nike x Air Afrique Air Max RK61 will be released globally on October 9 via SNKRS and select retailers, merging history, culture, and design into a silhouette that bridges continents and generations.
