Nike is planning to bring back the brown “Escape” colorway of the Air Force 1 from 2005, the brand said on a livestream on its SNKRS app on Thursday. The Air Force 1 “Escape,” which has never been re-released, is expected to arrive in the Spring 2025 season.
The “Escape” Air Force 1s get their nickname from the resemblance they bear to the loosely themed, brown-leaning “Escape” collection of Nikes from 1988 that included Air Force 3s and Cross Trainer Lows.
There have been other Air Force 1s that took on the “Escape” nickname, including another brown and white colorway in 2003 that was sold at JD Sports, and another 2005 pair in white/storm blue.
Both of the 2005 pairs feature tongue labels that read “Escape,” tying them directly to the range from ‘88. The upcoming retro (style code HJ4323-100) does not appear to use the “Escape” tongue text.
Sources tell Complex that Nike was also planning to release a retro of the “Escape” Air Max 90 from 2002 as part of its Holiday 2024 collection, although the shoe may have been pushed back to ‘25. The upcoming “Escape” Nike Air Max 90 (style code HJ4322-200) will come in tan leather with accents of golden beige, soft yellow, and sport red.
Though the handful of “Escape” Nikes that have been released this century are not widely known or celebrated, they have been relevant recently. The muddy hues are not unlike those found on Travis Scott’s mocha-colored Air Jordan collaborations, which have given an overall boost to brown Nikes. At the end of 2023, new Nike partner Nigo wore an exclusive “Escape” version of the Air Force 3 Low, teasing his coming work with Nike.
