Nike Sacai

Nike Sacai: the collaboration between Nike and Chitose Abe

The Nike x sacai collaboration combines Nike’s sporting heritage with the experimental approach of Japanese designer Chitose Abe.

Sacai was founded in Tokyo in 1999 and has built its identity through the concept of hybridization: seemingly different materials, structures, and garments are combined to create new forms. This same philosophy is applied to the sneakers developed with Nike, where silhouettes from the brand's archives are layered, duplicated, and reinterpreted.

Within the universe of Nike sneakers, the Nike Sacai are instantly recognizable by details such as double Swooshes, double tongues, double laces, and soles developed through the fusion of different models.

Nike Sacai LDWaffle: the beginning of a new language

The LDWaffle is one of the silhouettes that has best defined the identity of the collaboration.

Chitose Abe combines elements from the Nike LDV and the Waffle Racer, creating a sneaker built through layering. Swooshes, tongues, laces, and various upper panels are duplicated, transforming normally functional elements into an integral part of the aesthetic.

The result retains clear references to vintage Nike running but reworks them through proportions and details far removed from the original models.

Over the years, the LDWaffle has also been used as a base for three-way collaborations with Fragment Design, CLOT, and UNDERCOVER, further expanding the concept of hybridization at the heart of the Nike x sacai project.

Nike Sacai VaporWaffle

The Nike Sacai VaporWaffle bring the same philosophy to an even more experimental construction.

The silhouette combines references from different eras of Nike running, relating elements inspired by the modern Vaporfly with details tied to the 1983 Pegasus.

The structure retains some of the hallmarks of the collaboration, such as double Swooshes and layered tongues, but it is primarily the elongated and layered midsole that makes the VaporWaffle immediately recognizable.

Colorways such as Black White, Sail Gum, Black Gum, Dark Iris, and Villain Red have helped make it one of the most representative models of the Nike Sacai project.

Nike Sacai Blazer

Chitose Abe has also reinterpreted the Nike Blazer, applying the same principle of duplication used in the other collaborations to the basketball silhouette.

The Blazer Mid and Blazer Low Sacai feature layered elements, double tongues, multiple laces, and constructions that profoundly alter the proportions of the original model.

In addition to the releases developed directly with sacai, there are projects like Nike x sacai x KAWS, in which the language of the collaboration meets that of the American artist through specific colorways and details.

Fragment, CLOT, and UNDERCOVER

An important part of the Nike Sacai universe consists of collaborations involving a third partner.

Hiroshi Fujiwara’s Fragment Design reinterpreted the LDWaffle through versions characterized by more essential palettes and dedicated branding.

CLOT worked on the same silhouette, introducing semi-transparent materials and references to some of their previous Nike collaborations.

UNDERCOVER, a brand founded by Jun Takahashi, reinterpreted the LDWaffle through new combinations of colors and materials while keeping the elements that distinguish the original Sacai construction visible.

These projects show how a sneaker already born from the fusion of multiple models can in turn become a platform for further collaborations.

Nike Sacai and Jean Paul Gaultier

The VaporWaffle was also reinterpreted together with Jean Paul Gaultier.

The Nike x sacai x Jean Paul Gaultier project profoundly modifies the construction of the silhouette, transforming it through materials, proportions, and solutions that bring the world of sneakers even closer to that of high fashion.

The collaboration represents one of the most evident examples of sacai’s ability to use Nike footwear as a meeting point between sportswear and fashion design.

Why Nike Sacai have such a recognizable design

The common thread of the various Nike Sacai models is the concept of hybridization.

Chitose Abe starts with elements already existing in the Nike archives and combines them instead of replacing them. For this reason, many of the sneakers in the collaboration feature duplicated components: two Swooshes, two tongues, multiple lacing systems, or midsoles built by layering references from different silhouettes.

This approach makes the LDWaffle, VaporWaffle, and Blazer very different from one another, yet at the same time immediately attributable to the same design language.

Original Nike Sacai and collectible models

Many Nike Sacai were distributed through limited releases, and some colorways are no longer available in the normal retail circuit.

The presence of collaborations with Fragment, CLOT, UNDERCOVER, KAWS, and Jean Paul Gaultier has also expanded the collectible value of certain versions, making availability vary significantly from model to model.

In the case of sought-after sneakers from the secondary market, authenticity therefore plays a central role. Products sold by ResellZone as original are subjected to the checks required by the verification process, explained in detail on the product authenticity page.