LEGO has found a new way to put the Air Force 1 on a shelf, and this time you have to build it yourself.
The new Nike Air Force 1 x LEGO Set turns the famous sneaker into a 1,093-piece display model with a playful space theme. It launches on September 1 for $99.99 in the US and is aimed at builders aged 12 and over, according to LEGO.
The sneaker itself comes in a mostly white and grey finish, sitting above a moon-like base on a stand shaped to look like rocket exhaust. Removable Swooshes add some customisation, and an AF1 footprint is worked into the surface below as another nod to the real shoe.
Look closely at the base and you’ll also find a footprint based on the distinctive tread pattern of the real Air Force 1. A large blue AF1 sign sits behind the shoe, helping turn the whole thing into more of a display piece than a simple sneaker model.
There is also an interactive basketball element built into the set. Turning a dial sends a classic LEGO spaceman in Nike gear through a 360-degree dunk, and an interchangeable head lets you change the character’s appearance.
Once everything is assembled, the set measures more than 26cm tall, 35cm wide and 10cm deep. That gives it enough presence for a shelf or desk without demanding quite as much room as some of LEGO’s larger display sets.
The release continues a Nike and LEGO partnership that has already moved into footwear, clothing and other brick-built products. This time, though, the focus is firmly on the Air Force 1, a sneaker Nike first introduced in 1982.
At $99.99, it costs about as much as some pairs of sneakers. The difference is that this Air Force 1 is probably going to spend its entire life on a shelf.