Sneakerheads who knows quality knows that Italians do it best. NikeLab collaborates with Riccardo Tisci on a Nike Air Force 1 High to propel contemporary sports style into a more modern, elegant era with the Italian’s fashion designer work that combines different generations of sportswear icons to form a dynamic collection of off-court styles.

“I live for sports,” says Tisci. “There’s always been sportswear in my style, and I believe the mix of sport, street and elegance is really good.”

You may observe what he lives up to not only in clothing but in terms of footwear too.  The Nike Air Force 1 is an undisputed favorite which happens to be Tisci’s go-to shoe as well. “I’m obsessed with the shoe,” he says. “It’s very clean and pure, but at the same time elaborate. It’s the shoe that best represents my style and my collaboration with Nike,” he says. Tisci’s “Victorious Minotaurs” series features colorful Air Force 1s adorned with his signature stars that draw inspiration from Greek mythology by comparing the achievements and grace of iconic basketball players with gods and beasts of legend. The Italian fashion designer looks at basketball players not only as providers of style inspiration but heroes too.

“In the 90s, basketball players became kind of like rock stars,” he says. “But now, they are more than rock stars. They’re superhuman, representative of historical mythology.”