2012, Year of the Dragon, certainly will be an auspicious year for Nike. Along with the upcoming Olympic Games in London later this summer, the Beaverton-based sportswear giant will also celebrate the 30th anniversary of Air Force 1, one of its most historical designs. As part of its long-held tradition, Nike will release a special Air Force 1 to coincide with the upcoming Chinese New Year at the end of this month. Simply known as Nike Air Force 1 Year of the Dragon Edition, some of the early images show a design that is quite a departure from the previous Chinese New Year editions.
Inspired by the Amur River, which is locally known as “Black Dragon River”, the design is an all-black fabric upper on contrasting white sole with a series of intricate details embroidered along the shoe as swirling tides. Immersed among the watery chaos is the dragon itself, which finally shows itself on the tongue tag. Other details include a leather Nike Swoosh in reptilian print and a grand riverscape patterned after ancient Chinese graphics as part of the sock liner. No official release date is available as of yet, though a few retailers have already made the shoe available in Asia. via: Hoops China
