The Air Afrique x Nike Air Max RK61 Dress Shoe Releases in October

Nike has collaborated with a vast number of brands and partners, producing all kinds of unique releases. This week, the Swoosh unveiled a project with Parisian creative collective Air Afrique, debuting an Air Max RK61 dress sneaker.

Air Afrique, founded in 1961, was a pan-African airline jointly owned by a number of West African nations and partially by Air France. Headquartered in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, it symbolized post-independence unity and progress. The carrier expanded routes across Africa, Europe, and the U.S., becoming a cultural ambassador with its distinct green livery. However, the airline began to decline in the 1980s, and despite restructuring attempts in the 1990s, Air Afrique ceased operations in 2002. Now, the name has been repurposed by a Paris-based creative collective, honoring the legacy of Air Afrique through a “multidisciplinary platform dedicated to afro-diasporic art, conversations, and aesthetics”.

This week, Nike announced a new project with Air Afrique, one of their most interesting stories of the year so far. Teaming up with the creative outlet, the two have released a campaign surrounding a special sneaker release, the Air Max RK61. The shoe’s name comes from the original airlines’ flight code, RK, and the year of its founding, 1961. The shoe itself is a combination of elements from the Air Max Sunder combined with moccasins and dress shoes. The upper uses the zippered shroud of the Sunder, with a modified overlay adding a single swooping line around the shoe’s perimeter. The sole unit features a visible Air bubble in the heel, shank plate embedded under the midfoot. Colorways are tonal in either black or white, both featuring a zipper pull with the airline’s OG logo attached. Both pairs feature a patterned green insole, and come in flannel patterned boxes.

AIR AFRIQUE X NIKE AIR MAX RK61 RELEASE INFORMATION

The new project from Parisian label Air Afrique and Nike has been scheduled to release soon, on October 9th, 2025. Combining elements of the Air Max Sunder with a dress shoe, the Air Max RK61 will com in two colorways, Black and Coconut Milk, each with a special zipper puller and vivid green insoles and Air bags. Pairs will be available from the SNKRS app and select retailers. No pricing information is currently available.

Air Afrique x Nike Air Max RK61
Color: Coconut Milk/Coconut Milk/Coconut Milk
Style Code: HQ6416-100
Release Date: October 9th, 2025 (SNKRS)

Air Afrique x Nike Air Max RK61
Color: Black
Style Code: HQ6416-001
Release Date: October 9th, 2025 (SNKRS)

Check out the official images below, and stay tuned to JustFreshKicks on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more of the latest sneaker news, release dates, and restock alerts. 

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