Unreleased ‘Nellyville’ Nike Air Force 1: Where Hip Hop Meets Sneaker Culture

Give me two pairs!
(Cause) I need two pairs!
(So I) can get to stompin’ in my Air Force Ones!

When it comes to putting the Air Force 1 on the map, few have done more than Nelly. His 2002 hit Air Force Ones wasn’t just a catchy anthem—it turned the sneaker into a mainstream sensation. Though Nelly wasn’t a regular Nike collaborator, the brand did gift him with some exclusive kicks in the early 2000s, cementing his place in sneaker history.

One standout was the 2003 Air Derrty edition of the Air Max 2 CB 94, a limited release of just 1,000 pairs in bold red and blue patent leather. Nelly also had a couple of promo-only Air Force 1s tied to his Nellyville album, which gave us the iconic “Air Force Ones” track.

One of those Air Force 1s—a clean white colorway with subtle black Nellyville script—has been floating around in sneaker culture for years. In fact, Lil Yachty even showed off a pair during a 2021 tour of his collection with Complex. But now, there’s a new gem in the spotlight: a never-before-seen white 2002 sample with an icy midsole and blue outsole, currently on display at the Vitra Design Museum in Germany as part of a Nike exhibition.

The kicker? The insole features blue Nellyville script, and the heel has another logo hidden beneath the translucent midsole—something almost never seen on Nike’s usual designs.

The Nellyville Air Force 1s never actually hit the shelves. In a 2022 episode of Complex’s Sneaker Shopping, Nelly opened up about how, back in the early 2000s, Nike was sending him free gear and even funded part of his Nellyville tour. But despite his song’s role in skyrocketing the Air Force 1’s popularity, Nelly didn’t see a dime from that sneaker boom.

Even though he didn’t cash in directly, Nelly feels his partnership with Nike laid the groundwork for the sneaker deals that later hip-hop stars would score. “Anybody who got a Nike deal needs to be thanking us,” he said during the interview. “We showed Nike what the culture was all about.”

If you’re in the mood to see history in the making, the Nike: Form Follows Motion exhibition at the Vitra Design Museum will be up until May 18, 2025.

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