Air Kiy Inspired By Jordan 1 Is Making Big Noise Online
G-Roc
By now you have probably seen the Air Kiy sneaker. The shoe is a take on the classic Air Jordan 1 with a lightning bolt logo. Many people compare the inspiration to Nigo and what he did during his time at Bape with the Bapesta. The Bapesta is his own take on the Air Force 1.
Designer Kool Kiy of New Jersey is no different than Nigo and many other designers who are inspired by classic silhouettes. High fashion brands to Steve Madden have been doing it for years! The young black designer and his partner David Weeks NYC created a brand called Reves Paris.
They both started posting images on Instagram weeks ago and the feedback was of course insanely positive mixed with some negative comments. It's a love/hate shoe and approach. Some people champion the underdog/independent designers and some defend the corporate giants.
Copying, bootlegging, inspired by or whatever you want to call it has always been a part of the rebellion of streetwear and fashion. This isn't new information or a new strategy. Consumers pick whether or not they want to support the products or not - it's that simple!
As for Kiy, his team released a few colorways of the Air Kiy and even held a pop up shop in LA with very long lines. The next pop up shop is headed to New York. The NY & LA pop up shops feature Air Kiys that rock colors familiar with each region.
It looks like the Air Kiy line is just warming up because Kiy revealed a Paris Dunk inspired Air Kiy (pictured above). Kiy also revealed his take on the Air Max 1. It will be interesting to see the future of the brand because at this point it doesn't look like Reves Paris plans on slowing down any time soon.
I wouldn't be surprised if they open an Air Kiy retail store one day.
How do you feel about the Air Kiy line?
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