Nike and Air Afrique, a Paris-based creative collective, have joined forces to launch the Air Max RK61, a dress shoe silhouette that bridges heritage, craft and innovation in a design that evokes shared memories of travel.
The Air Max RK61 applies Air to a new canvas, blending cultural memory with modern design, a sporty attitude, signature technology and sartorial elegance. Named after the original Air Afrique airline’s flight code, RK, and its founding year, 1961, the silhouette pays tribute to the historic airline’s legacy of connecting West African nations and the diaspora.
Drawing inspiration from the classic Air Max SNDR and timeless moccasin styles, the RK61 channels elegance through a refined upper that pairs with the comfort of Nike’s Air Max technology. Design details nod to aviation heritage, including an Air Max unit inspired by a jet engine, morse code spelling “Air Afrique” on the outsole, a zipper pull featuring 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.”
Air Afrique’s rebirth as a creative collective builds on the airline’s original legacy as a vessel for cultural patronage and cross-continental exchange. In 2021, the four members of the collective — Lamine Diaoune, Djiby Kebe, Jeremy Konko and Ahmadou-Bamba — transformed Air Afrique’s heritage into a multidisciplinary platform for Afro-diasporic cultural expression. Rooted in visual arts, cinema and photography, the new Air Afrique uses art and culture as a bridge, connecting communities through shared memory, creativity and human interconnection.
“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 extends the collective’s first partnership with Nike, building on shared ideals expressed through the partners’ Air Afrique Football Club campaign, which debuted last year.
“We’re very deliberate about who we work with, making sure we uphold the Air Afrique name,” says Ahmadou-Bamba. “Nike is a universal brand with a cultural platform that reaches a wide audience and has always resonated with us, ever since we were kids. There’s intention and distinction in every Nike innovation and design decision, and that’s what connects them to our story with Air Afrique — because that intentionality is at the center of everything we do.”
Air Afrique and Nike bring the new silhouette to life through the Première Classe campaign, which serves as a boarding call for the next generation of athletes, channeling the feel of early 20th-century advertising into a contemporary campaign that leans into themes of comfort and elegance.
Featured in the campaign are icons from sport and culture who span generations and reflect Afro-diasporic excellence: football legend Didier Drogba, renowned Malian singer Oumou Sangaré, sprinter Marie Josée Ta Lou-Smith, and Mme Daba Traoré, a former employee of the original airline. Their presence in the campaign highlights the breadth and intergenerational strength of diasporic reference figures across disciplines.
The Nike x Air Afrique Air Max RK61 will be available globally October 9 across SNKRS and select retail partners.