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My last AF1 pickup was the Acorn retro. I’m always interested in something new and different on this model, and to that end I now have these Nike Air Force 1 Tiger. The Air Force 1 was designed by Bruce Kilgore and first released in 1982.
This pair was initially dubbed by many online sneaker publications as the “Daktari” colorway. The pattern on the sneaker is reminiscent of the Daktari dunk lows that released in 2003 in both mens and womens.
Nike is no stranger to animal print on sneakers, and has recently released several animal-themed kicks. There’s a snow leopard Air Force 1, as well as giraffe and zebra Dunks. In this context, this pair here makes more sense as a “tiger” colorway regardless of the resemblance to the aforementioned Daktaris.
Why I Got These
I’m always looking for nice pairs of Air Force 1s these days. I saw these under “coming soon” on the Nike website, and was able to get them right when they dropped for retail from Nike. The price point on these pointed to a premium black box release. This is as opposed to a GR or general release with basic quality that typically comes in a grey box at a lower price point.
A number of Forces in my collection are white or wheat based, and while those are classic looks, I’m always interested in something different. These definitely fit the bill! I’ve got a few pairs with animal print from Nike but none that are strictly tiger focused.
I find the colorway to be very good on this shoe. The black liner and tongue tag add some nice contrast to the light shades of orange used. The tiger print area has a bit of a vintage look to it and the gumsole helps pull the whole thing together. I’m digging the sail laces which further blend with the colorway. This pair is well thought out in my opinion as far as how nice it looks.
Air Force 1s aren’t everyone’s cup of tea but they are one of the most popular sneakers out there for a reason. They’re a classic in the sneaker world! I like having some more unique pairs to go along with the more straightforward, clean colorways. This pair definitely fits the bill for something a little more wild on an otherwise timeless silhouette.
Details/Materials
Starting off we have a Nike logo and swoosh embroidered in orange onto a black leather tongue tag. The tongue is smooth leather as well. As we move down the eyelets are suede with the tiger print on them. The toebox is more of that smooth leather with more tiger print around the mudguard.
On the side we get an orange leather swoosh with just a slight bit of grain visible on the finish sitting on top of more smooth tan leather. Towards the back we get more of that tiger print and below that we have AIR embossed onto the midsole in black.
On the back we have a Nike Air logo embroidered in orange onto a black leather backtab. The insole is orange with the Nike Air logo in black and the outsole is gum with the Nike logo towards the middle.
These ship with a set of flat sail laces and come in the black Air Force 1 premium box. These do not include a deubre for the bottom of the laces.
So, pretty much just the shoes and the box with these. I think the upcharge on the black box AF1s is because they’re technically a premium release. Sometimes this is reflected in the quality and other times it’s reflected in the features around the shoe.
How is the Quality on the Nike Air Force 1 Tiger?
As I mentioned earlier, these are labeled as a premium. However, I think this is referring to the specialness of the tiger print in this case rather than the materials.
The tan and black leathers used around the shoe are super basic. It’s pretty much the same thing as what you would get on a general release. The swoosh does have that extra texture in the finish which is not overdone but not enough to make it seem premium.
The suede that’s being used is a bit rough. I think this is on purpose since Nike seems to be going with a vintage theme here. The pattern has this semi-faded look on the black parts which adds to this. I’d compare the texture to a tennis ball that has been used for a while.
So overall, I think we’re paying for the coolness of the pattern and the uniqueness of the shoe, not super nice materials. The materials aren’t terrible, they’re just not anything special. I would buy these if you like the colorway and the theme with the pattern, not if you expect supple leather and buttery suede.
The QC seems actually pretty good compared to what I normally expect for Nike. Maybe a tiny bit of glue issues are visible around the midsole on parts but nothing worth noting as you can only see it if you are a couple inches from the shoe.
Comfort
This model for me personally is kind of a clunky but comfy fit. The overall comfort though is pretty good as far as retro casual sneakers go. I like to go true to size even with the roomier fit.
The materials on the upper aren’t super stiff, so these don’t really require too much break in. The generous fit helps as well with this. I do think that toebox is going to crease ASAP but that’s nothing new on the Air Force 1.
Underfoot we get a slab of regular midsole with an encapsulated Air unit. While I don’t feel the Air on here like for example on the Lebron 8, I still feel the solid support of that thick midsole. The feel here is sturdy with just enough give. Not everyone agrees with me on this but personally I like the feel of the AF1 midsole. It’s like a thicker version of the basic midsole comfort you would get from other casual shoe retros from the 80s.
Overall, I’d say the Nike Air Force 1 Tiger is a decently comfy sneaker. Forces might be a bit bulky for me for all day wear but not uncomfortable. If I had to rock these for a few hours I totally could with no problem.
Final Thoughts
In my quest to add even more bright and interesting retros into the collection, these definitely fit the bill. I think the snow leopard colorway is nice as well, but this print feels more unique to me.
I’m really liking this print and I dig the vintage effect Nike used to calm the shoe down a bit. The colorway overall seems well thought out.
The materials leave a bit to be desired but I realize this is not the point of this particular release. I will say though, the craftsmanship on this pair is surprisingly good for a Nike at this price point.
The comfort here is basic but thick underfoot and roomy up top. I kind of like that although the shoe is a bit clunky. Some of that is the sizing but also it’s a retro of a model that was always a bit bulky when worn casually. Most importantly though, they look great on feet!
Where To Cop the Nike Air Force 1 Tiger
As of the writing of this article, you can find these on eBay
Colorway: Coconut Milk / Atomic Orange
Style Code: DJ6192 100
Year of Release: 2021
MSRP: $130