For years it was simply called the Off-White x Nike Air Force 1 “Sesame”. Today, however, we know that the story is more interesting: the sneaker recovered from Virgil Abloh's archives maintains virtually all the aesthetic codes made famous by his Nikes, but in the official images the Off-White name disappears.
The Virgil Abloh x Nike Air Force 1 Low Sesame, SKU FD6900-200, stems from a project publicly showcased as early as 2022, remained unreleased for years, reappeared in 2025 with official images, and was subsequently linked to the new chapter of the Virgil Abloh Archive.
A sand-colored Air Force 1, metallic Swoosh, black stitching, zip tie, and the famous “AIR” lettering: it looks like a classic Off-White x Nike, but the very absence of Off-White branding makes it one of the most curious projects left by Abloh’s creative legacy.
What is Virgil Abloh’s Nike Air Force 1 Sesame?
The Nike Air Force 1 Low Sesame is a reinterpretation of the historic Nike Air Force 1 built through the design language developed by Virgil Abloh during his long-standing collaboration with Nike.
The shoe uses a Sesame and Metallic Silver palette: the upper is dominated by a warm beige tone, while the large lateral Swoosh utilizes a metallic silver finish attached to the shoe via prominent black stitching.
The design is completed by some of the most recognizable elements associated with Abloh's work:
- “AIR” text in quotation marks on the midsole;
- Metallic Swoosh with visible stitching;
- orange tab near the Swoosh;
- zip tie on the laces;
- deliberately industrial and deconstructed construction;
- technical text printed on the medial side.
It is therefore immediately recognizable as a sneaker belonging to Virgil Abloh’s creative universe, even without reading the designer’s name.
The Sesame appears for the first time in 2022
The sneaker’s story begins several years before the rumors of its commercialization.
In 2022, the colorway was showcased during Virgil Abloh: The Codes c/o Architecture, an exhibition organized during Design Miami at the Rubell Museum.
The Sesame appeared alongside other Air Force 1s associated with Abloh’s creative output, including colorways already known to collectors.
At the time, rumors circulated about a possible exclusive release linked to an exhibition in Qatar, but that launch did not materialize.
The sneaker thus entered a sort of limbo: it physically exists, was photographed and shown publicly, but it did not reach the market through standard Nike distribution.
Why did everyone call it the Off-White x Nike Air Force 1 Sesame?
The answer is simple: the design clearly belongs to the language that Virgil Abloh had developed through Off-White x Nike.
The large stitched Swoosh, the orange tab, the zip tie, and especially the words in quotation marks are elements that millions of people immediately associate with Nike x Off-White collaborations.
For this reason, when the first images of the Sesame began to circulate, the model was described almost universally as an Off-White x Nike Air Force 1.
The official images released subsequently, however, showed a fundamental detail.
The Sesame does not carry Off-White branding
On the medial side of previous collaborations, it was common to find explicit references to Off-White for Nike.
On the Sesame, the text changes.
The reference becomes Virgil Abloh directly, while the Off-White name does not appear as official project branding.
It is a small difference from a visual perspective, but a huge one from a historical point of view.
That is why today it is more correct to speak of the Virgil Abloh x Nike Air Force 1 Sesame or a project from the Virgil Abloh Archive, even if online you will inevitably continue to find it by searching for “Off-White Air Force 1 Sesame”.
The design of the Air Force 1 Sesame
Unlike many of Virgil Abloh's extremely complex projects, the Sesame maintains a relatively clean construction.
The entire sneaker is dominated by the Sesame tone, used on the upper, laces, and sole unit. The result is almost monochromatic.
Breaking this uniformity completely is the Metallic Silver Swoosh.
The Nike logo is not integrated into the upper in a traditional way: it is highlighted by a series of intentionally visible black zigzag stitches.
This is one of the fundamental principles of Virgil Abloh’s language: instead of hiding the construction process, he turns it into part of the design.
The silver Swoosh and black stitching
The Swoosh is likely the detail that catches the eye first.
The metallic finish creates a sharp contrast with the beige upper, while the black thread seems almost to manually trace the outline of the logo.
Near the end of the Swoosh, the classic orange tab also appears, another recurring element in Abloh’s collaborations with Nike.
The result is intentionally imperfect: the sneaker does not seek to look like a polished luxury product, but openly displays overlaps, stitching, and construction.
The “AIR” text on the midsole
On the lateral part of the midsole, the famous “AIR” text appears in quotation marks.
It is one of the most famous codes introduced by Virgil Abloh in his work with Nike.
The principle behind it is almost ironic: taking an element we already know and literally calling it for what it is.
The Air technology is thus identified simply by the word “AIR”, turning a functional description into a graphic element.
The same approach appeared for years on sneakers, laces, and components of Nike collaborations signed by Abloh.
The zip tie is still present
Another element that has remained intact is the characteristic zip tie.
Over the years, it has become one of the most immediately recognizable details of the Off-White and Virgil Abloh language.
On the Sesame, it is used in a shade consistent with the sneaker’s palette, thus avoiding the stark contrast of some of the earlier releases.
Here, too, the detail has now surpassed its purely functional meaning: it has become almost a visual signature.
Air Force 1 Sesame and previous Virgil Abloh x Nike projects
The Sesame belongs to a very specific creative family.
Virgil Abloh reinterpreted the Air Force 1 numerous times, starting from The Ten project and arriving at colorways and editions linked to art, museums, and events.
Among the best-known versions are:
- Air Force 1 Low “The Ten”;
- Air Force 1 MoMA;
- Air Force 1 MCA Chicago;
- Air Force 1 University Gold / Lemonade;
- Air Force 1 Brooklyn.
The Sesame draws primarily on the monochromatic approach of these releases, using a dominant color and contrasting it with the silver Swoosh.
The 2022 Brooklyn is an important reference
Before the Sesame re-emerged, one of the last Air Force 1 Lows linked to Abloh’s work to actually reach the public was the green Brooklyn of 2022.
The conceptual structure is very similar: monochromatic base, silver Swoosh, contrast stitching, orange tab, and “AIR” text.
The Sesame can therefore be read almost as a chromatic variant of the same design language, but with a completely different distribution history.
What happened to the release scheduled for 2025?
In 2025, numerous specialized sources indicated the sneaker was expected for Fall 2025.
Official images and the SKU FD6900-200 were also released, making the launch seem imminent.
However, that schedule did not materialize as initially planned.
That is why today it would be wrong to continue describing the Sesame as a sneaker “releasing in Fall 2025”: that window has since passed.
Has the Virgil Abloh Air Force 1 Sesame been released?
The situation is more complex than it seems.
A few pairs have appeared on the secondary market for some time and the sneaker physically exists, but one should not confuse the presence of pairs in circulation with a normal public Nike launch.
After the 2025 delay, new rumors circulated in 2026 about a possible commercialization through the Virgil Abloh Archive project.
However, until Nike officially communicates a date and final distribution, it is more correct to consider the public release as not definitively confirmed.
What is the Virgil Abloh Archive?
After Virgil Abloh’s passing in November 2021, his enormous creative archive has continued to be studied and valued through projects dedicated to his legacy.
In the following years, various samples, prototypes, and designs that were never commercialized returned to the center of attention.
This new chapter has also involved Nike and Jordan Brand.
A particularly important example is the Virgil Abloh Archive Air Jordan 1 High Alaska, which brought attention back to projects that had remained outside of traditional distribution for years.
The Sesame fits perfectly into this context: not a new sneaker designed after Virgil’s death, but a project that already existed in his creative archive.
SKU and colorway of the Nike Air Force 1 Sesame
The data associated with the model are: