Fifteen years after its original release, the Nike Air Max 1 “Grand Piano” is dropping again on May 5th. The Air Max grail designed in part by Taiwanese pop star Jay Chou released exclusively at his co-founded fashion store PHANTACi back in 2009 and has remained one of the most elusive shoes on the market; only 400 pairs are rumored to be in existence.
While that’s set to change next month, a new Friends & Family “Grand Piano” colorway surfaced by HYPEBEAST keeps mystique surrounding PHANTACi’s Nike catalog alive and well. Most of the shoe’s black and white elements are inverted and feature traditional instead of patent leather, an interesting departure from one of the OG’s most favored hallmarks. Also gone is the gold heel and white-on-white Swoosh logo, replaced by familiar swatches of black and pink leather, respectively. For the sake of familiarity, however, the shoes maintain their pink sock lining and sole.
Enjoy detailed shots of the shoe below but don’t get too attached; they won’t see a wide release. Instead, set your sights on the original pair dropping on Nike SNKRS on May 5th.
While on the topic of prized Friends & Family pairs, check out images of the Nike Air Force 1 “Vice” from 2017.