Nike tends to pull out all the stops when commemorating its most special athletes and their grandest accolades. Captain of the United States Women’s National Soccer Team Megan Rapinoe recently had her monumental 2019 – which includes World Cup and Ballon d’Or wins – celebrated with a cleat inspired by her pink hair. Current Paris Saint-Germain Forward Kylian Mbappé is having another taste of Nike’s premier treatment just in time for his 21st birthday (December 20th) by way of his very own Air Max 98. The Sergio Lozano-designed model first released the same year the French footballer was born, and now serves as the third limited Air Max the Swoosh gifts him – the first two being a two-pack featuring the Air Max Plus and Air Max 270. The forthcoming release has been outfitted in a gunsmoke-and-gold color scheme, with a couple of deviations – namely camo patterns and green accents – found throughout the uppers, sockliner, and outsole. To further drive home the fact that this iteration is specially for the Frechman, a gold-stitched “KM” replaces the typical Air Max logo on the right shoe; miniature French-flags make up the lacestays; and an “MBAPPE” graphic lives on the cushioning unit. There’s no word if this edition will see a public release, but stay tuned to see if that changes. For now, enjoy an official look at Mbappé’s sneaker below.
Nike Air Max 98 “Kylian Mbappé”
Color: Gunsmoke/Thunder Grey/Oil Grey/Gunsmoke
Style Code: CT1531-001