TN98 x A-COLD-WALL*

 A growing partnership

Samuel Ross’ avant-garde fashion brand, A-COLD-WALL*, began working with Nike back in 2017. Their first collaboration was a reworking of one of the brand’s most iconic sneakers – the Air Force 1 – and they soon moved on to the Zoom Vomero 5 in 2018. Each time, they altered the look of the original with offbeat features, updated materials and fine branding details. After this, it would be another five years before the creative partnership delivered its next shoe, but it was worth the wait as they chose another titan of Nike’s extensive back catalog – the Air Max Plus.

An early glimpse

An early look at the sneaker was presented by Samuel Ross himself on his design.by.samuelross Instagram page when, on June 19th 2023, he posted six pictures bookended with images of him holding the House Blue version of the Nike TN98 x A-COLD-WALL* collaborative shoe. The images in between featured teasers such as a close up of the insoles, with their intricate white branding and the word “Precision” written on the forefoot, a picture of the all-white colorway on a desk beside some shoeboxes, another of Ross with this version in hand, and finally a view of the House Blue on his feet while he crossed the road. From these photos it was already clear what much of the collaboration would consist of, but many of its finer details were yet to be revealed.

ACW*’s first teaser

A-COLD-WALL* itself didn’t begin posting about the TN98 until September 4th of that year, when a one-image teaser was released. It showed a person sitting on the floor in a darkened room with their legs stretched out in front of them. They were bending forwards to touch their shoes, the bottoms of which were facing the camera, but the low lighting made it difficult to see what model of sneaker they were wearing. There was, however, one telltale sign – the unforgettable hexagonal Tn logo. Located in the center of the shoe’s outsole, its yellow coloration and Tn text was unmistakable, leaving no question over what the basis for the collaboration would be. Other than this, it left a lot to the imagination as dual branding flanked the picture and the comment simply encouraged people to register on the fashion label’s website for updates.

“All is possible”

Samuel Ross, meanwhile, went for a less minimal approach on his Instagram page, putting out a series of pictures documenting all of the Nike x ACW* collaborative sneakers, including the three upcoming AM Plus colorways. Each image was a neat side profile with the shoe’s product code in small writing down the right hand side and the year and quarter number of its release on the left. The comment gave an insight into Ross’ feelings about his work with the shoe brand, stating that “To mature, study & develop a professional partnership through till 2023 has been an honor. All is possible.” This concluding message showed his optimism and the empowerment he aimed to convey through the sneaker.

A third creative partner joins

From then on, A-COLD-WALL*’s founder mirrored the brand’s posting pattern, next releasing images on September 7th. On this day, both put up three pictures of a composition created by in-demand photographer Gabriel Moses, who was mentioned throughout the campaign for his work capturing images and directing the project. Here, the post presented close ups from his artwork, which was inspired by a 17th century Renaissance style, depicting a group of models wearing the Air Max Plus as they flew through the clouds. The full image appeared on Moses’ Instagram page on the same day, along with the comment “Someone said airmax and I took it to heart.” Meanwhile, A-COLD-WALL* called it “The Renaissance” and referred people to their website for updates, and Samuel Ross went with a focus on the positive message of the partnership, writing “True collaboration. You will see this at scale, across major cities shortly. Black British artistry is thriving.”

Gaining momentum

With these three all posting about the Nike x ACW* TN98, the campaign was really beginning to gain momentum, and the next day, Nike got involved too. In a joint post with A-COLD-WALL* on September 8th, they released four of Moses’ stylish pictures on their nikesportswear Instagram page. All wide shots, they showed the same group of models from “The Renaissance” posing in the Onyx and Stone colorways in a dark setting against a concrete backdrop. The comment summed up the collaborative sneaker with the words “ACW_NIKE TN98. An interplay of refinement and abstraction through the lens of a timeless iconic Air Max Plus 98.” In addition, it announced the release dates for the shoe – globally on September 12th on a-cold-wall.com and September 21st on the SNKRS app.

A closer look

The campaign then continued on September 10th, this time with the same two images posted on the nikesportswear Instagram and that of A-COLD-WALL* as well. Each was a close up of Moses’ photos of the models wearing first the all-black version and then the all-white one. This gave those excited about the release a closer look at the two colorways, while ACW*’s comment repeated the launch dates and Nike’s described the collaboration as the “fourth chapter in the deep rooted @acoldwall partnership.”

The final push

On September 11th, as the early access date approached, A-COLD-WALL* curated two posts. One featured six pictures that gave an in-depth look at the Onyx and Stone colorways, focusing in on details described in the comments, such as the “Full-grain leather upper with a thermo-molded exoskeleton”, the “Laser-etched @nike swoosh and graphic applications” and the “Ridged TPU heel-guard with a schematic underlay”. For anyone who had already developed even a passing interest in the design, this would be the final push as it showed just how refined and precise the crafting of this sneaker was. To give the release even more hype, the second post presented four stills of a Los Angeles billboard displaying Gariel Moses’ Renaissance-inspired piece. Samuel Ross shared just a single image of the same billboard on his Instagram page that day. It was simply left there without comment, but Moses was the first to reply with an emoticon of two champagne glasses being clinked together – a subtle toast to their work together. The following day, ACW*’s Instagram featured simple profiles of the Onyx and Stone colorways against an off-white background with dual branding at the bottom of each, calmly announcing that the shoe was now available.

The House Blue colorway

Now that these two colorways were out in the world, the brands could turn their attention to the release of the House Blue colorway, which was due to come out on September 18th. Four days prior to this, A-COLD-WALL*’s Instagram hosted a video of someone, perhaps even Samuel Ross himself, walking on a treadmill in the blue version of the new Nike Air Max Plus. Atmospheric music played in the background, and the video itself cut in and out. The comment asked people to register on the website for updates. This preceded another post on September 17th that showed two images from Moses’ photoshoot, this time of the models standing in the House Blue sneaker. The London-based photographer is referenced in the comment, as is the shoe’s release date. To coincide with the launch of this third colorway, the brand posted once again, with four pictures that focused in on specific details of the design, including unique aspects like the etched swoosh and geometric squares, the fine lettering on the shank, the visible Air unit and the various branding elements on the heel, all of which are centered around the iconic Tn logo. The comment stated that the shoe was available exclusively on the A-COLD-WALL* website.

Behind the Design

At this point, the release campaign was progressing well, and the next stage was the shoe’s launch on the SNKRS app. A day before this, on September 20th, the nikesportswear and nikelondon Instagram pages both shared clips from a ‘Behind the Design’ video done with Samuel Ross and his project design team. It featured Ross talking about his partnership with Nike and some of the ideas behind the sneaker, in which he described the AM Plus as “probably the greatest icon of European sportswear and sneaker culture”. The full video from this post could be seen on the Nike website in a ‘Behind the Design’ production. In this longer version, the project’s senior manager and footwear designer, Laura Song, could be heard talking about how they had highlighted some of the shoe’s finer details, such as the visible airbag and the translucent aspects. Alongside her was another member of the team, senior PLM for men’s footwear in Europe, Matthew Hay. He described the Plus as one of the “crown jewels” of Nike’s portfolio, before Ross went on to outline his vision for the shoe, stating that he wanted to uncover its engineering to make the creation process visible and expose its fragility and imperfection as a physical object. He explained the laser etching process used to create the shape of the outer from a leather Nappa and the balance of innovating and evolving the color relationship between ACW and Nike. This was achieved through the use of blue on one colorway and the methodical color choices that were made to investigate the theme of legacy via the “chalk, slate, off-white tones and then the blacks and the charcoal” on the Stone and Onyx. Ross also revealed how this project was about community, but was also personal to him because the Plus was a shoe he had always wanted but could not get, stating that buying the shoe was “almost like buying your first piece of art”.

Signing the shoe

On September 21st, 2023, the Nike TN98 x A-COLD-WALL* sneaker was finally released on the SNKRS app. On the same day, Samuel Ross himself took part in a shoe-signing in Dover Street Market. The event was promoted on the ACW* Instagram page with three pictures of a special installation by Ross consisting of a series of blue sculptures that matched the color of the House Blue TN98 with delicate white branding just like that on the shoe. The comment revealed the time of the event and stated that he would “sign the shoes on a first come first served basis”.

Retelling the story of the Air Max Plus

While this gave the release one final boost, A-COLD-WALL* was clearly incredibly proud of the design, and a detailed description of the collaboration still exists on the ACW* website to this day. There is an introductory page that looks back over the brand’s seven-year partnership with Nike, characterizing the sneakers as “legacy silhouettes deconstructed and rebuilt under the ACW” visual framework. It explains Ross’ method of using a “progressive lens” to retell the story of each shoe and outlines the use of “advanced fabrications, innovative construction techniques and avant-garde color applications”, all things which are evident in the design of the TN98. Community is mentioned again here, the website outlining that it “remains at the heart of this ongoing project” as they examine “the relationship between wearer and brand” to generate “a conversation around our collective experiences and shared histories”.

Delving deeper

Beyond this introduction, which itself gives some interesting insight into the themes behind the collaboration, there is a second page that delves even deeper into the brand’s Air Max Plus, including a look at the influences for each individual colorway. It returns to many of the concepts and ideas referred to in the brand’s pre-launch social media posts, including the profound relationship between ACW* and Nike. The title also reiterates one of the phrases used in the release campaign: “ACW_NIKE TN98: An interplay of refinement and abstraction through the lens of a timeless icon.” It states one of the aims of the project as being to expand on the “cultural significance and radical innovation of the original 1998 Nike Air Max Plus TN”, before outlining the various key features of the shoe, such as its “elegant full-grain leather” outer, which is made “to age and patina with wear”, thus altering “the look and feel of the TN98”. The shoe’s use of “understated expression” and ACW*’s “nod to geometry” are also illustrated, the former found in the use of fine branding concealed “beneath a ridged TPU heel plate”, the latter demonstrated by the laser etched “lateral swoosh and compact squares”. The page even gives the reader a greater understanding of the cooperation with Gabriel Moses, describing his images, which appear throughout, as “a series of surrealist stills inspired by renaissance tableaus and performance-wear testing centers.” The themes investigated in his work are based around “the human physique, stylised movement and new modes of athleticism” in a challenge to “the norms of conventional campaign visuals.” 

Inspirations

Lower down the page, there is a short section chronicling the story behind each of the three colorways, starting with the Onyx. It is said to play with “shadow” to both reveal and conceal the updated construction of the Plus’ trademark exoskeleton in different lighting conditions. Ross’ inspirations are revealed to be “brutalist design philosophy” and his intentions to create a “stripped back construction and exposed engineering” with a “minimal finish”. Next is the Stone, which is accompanied by the heading: “Embracing imperfection through exposure of the making process”, something Ross was heard talking about in Nike’s ‘Behind the Design’ video. It defines this colorway as a “bright counterpoint” whose “silhouette and materials” have been “recontextualised”. The emphasis with this model is described as being its “Nike Air bubble cushioning unit”, while its “aged finish” that wears away over time is a reference to “our changing urban environment”. Lastly, the House Blue gets its own explanation. Once again, the inspirations are drawn from urban landscapes, the design representing “a wider preoccupation with industrial spaces and modernist British architecture”. In particular, “Richard Rogers’ iconic external blue pipework” is a “key touchpoint” for the look of the sneaker – a fitting influence that harks back to Tinker Hatfield’s original motivation behind the design of the very first Air Max model. On top of this, the color itself is of high importance to Ross and ACW* since it “denotes purity, functionality, safety and trust”. Blue is a “unifying theme” for the brand as it has been used across their global locations, acting as a “solid backdrop” and a “tone setting device” that is both “impactful and energizing”. The broad use of this color in both public and private spaces shows its “inherent sense of authenticity”, something that underpins the sneaker and the entire collaboration. Each one of these stunning colorways then has its own individual page with a full description of the shoe and its standout design elements. The information is the same on each, and the pictures all sit against an elegant white backdrop with close-up images of the finer details to be found across the sneaker.

Two creative powerhouses

In the time since the release of the TN98 by A-COLD-WALL*, Nike has also honored the collaboration through a ‘Behind the Design’ exhibition as part of SNKRS Day 2023. This event was showcased on the nikelondon Instagram page on October 12th with clips of Gabriel Moses and Samuel Ross discussing their views on collaboration. Their comments demonstrated their individual approaches to creative work, Ross advising artists and designers not to apologize for their creativity, stating that there is “no perfect roadmap” or “strict path” and that it is important to “be your biggest critic along the way”. Moses, meanwhile, explained his belief that collaborations “can produce magic” if done the right way, urging creatives to be open, find people with similar perspectives and have confidence in themselves. The comment described the two men as “Visionaries” and “creative powerhouses” who give “new life to street classics”.

Honoring a classic

The collaborative partnership between Nike and A-COLD-WALL* has grown and developed over several years to a point where the two are able to reproduce heritage Nike sneakers in bold, exciting ways. In honoring the iconic Air Max Plus, Samuel Ross managed to achieve this with his own take on the timeless model. The luxurious touches on Ross’ TN98 elevated the look of the Air Max Plus, making it the perfect ode to his seven-year collaboration with Nike.