It appears that NikeLab is taking a clandestine approach to rolling out its latest high-profile collaboration, opting for back-channel messaging and unexpected launch times rather than straightforward press releases and release dates. The tone and obfuscation make sense given the partner in the project—Acronym, a wilfully hushed brand whose technical gear feels straight out of a dystopic, surveillance state future.
Nike hasn't said anything about the shoes yet. Its social media channels are devoid of mentions of the teched-out Air Presto Mids that make up the collection. But the accounts of Acronym co-founder Errolson Hugh have offered clues. There, he's posted imagery of the pack created by artist Kostas Seremetis, along with details of a limited launch in Berlin (where Hugh is based) on Wednesday, Sep. 8.
FIRST IN FIRST OUT - APM-ACR tonight: BERGSTRASSE 77 / 8-11PM / 10115 Berlin @nikelab @KSeremetis #acrnm CA$H ONLY pic.twitter.com/BXYrti8iQm
That local launch spread to the internet unexpectedly, with Hugh tweeting out an announcement about the shoes hitting the Acronym webstore at 2 p.m. Berlin time on Thursday, Sep. 8. Stock quickly disappeared.
NikeLab Air Presto Mid ΛCROИYM® available at 14:00 CET today. https://t.co/HwDBY9yQfi only #headsup #acrnm #nikelab pic.twitter.com/IPvC3IbaNG
Where will Nike go from here? It's not likely that the brand will let the launch pass without a proper release on nike.com, but for now all is quiet on that front. Watch with us in the coming week as clues on this secretive release accumulate.