Photos of the long-anticipated LEGO x Nike Air Max Dn have finally arrived. And yes, the sneaker’s exactly as wild as it sounds.
First rumored about in 2024, the landmark LEGO shoe collab is shaping up to be one of Nike’s brightest, most playful releases this year. However, it might also be one of Nike’s most frustrating.
Drenched in LEGO’s signature primary yellow, the LEGO x Nike Air Max DN sneaker is loud in the best way featuring tactile rubber studs covering the upper like a 3D brick wall.
The sneaker’s tongue includes a bold LEGO logo and the Air bubbles even hide cheeky details, including a minifigure-style alien peeking out from one of the pods.
Nike and LEGO have been teasing this inevitable link-up for a minute now. Between LEGO’s themed sports sets and Nike’s habit of embracing maximalist collabs, this sneaker always felt more like when than if.
But here’s the thing, the studs aren’t functional.
And that’s where I pause.
If I’m going to wear LEGO bricks on my feet, I want the full fantasy. I want to clip my LEGO Star Wars gunship to my laces; I want to stunt with clippable Minions and flower bricks like those bag labubu mods on TikTok; I want a shoe that’s half sneaker, half toy box.
Adidas sort of got it right with its Ultra Boost DNA LEGO and the Stan Smith collab, which featured semi-attachable parts. Even modders have added LEGO plates to sneakers for years. So why not make the studs real?
Let me flex at BrickCon the way the LEGO gods intended.
To be fair, the leaked packaging reportedly includes a LEGO-sorting insert in the shoebox (cute, if not quite chaotic enough for my tastes). Plus, with rumors of more LEGO sneakers in the pipeline, I’m hoping the next pair gets even weirder and is a functional piece of LEGO.
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