Kith partners with Nike for the duo’s first collaboration – an apparel and footwear collection that derives inspiration from Kith-founder Ronnie Fieg’s childhood. Growing up in Queens, NY, Fieg would spend his days as a carefree teenager biking around the borough with his friends. This is also where his affinity for Hall of Fame basketball player Scottie Pippen originated, as he and his crew all wore Pippen’s Nike models to stand out and be different. This set the foundation for what would become a fully rounded collection today. 

The Take Flight collection tells two product stories stemming from the footwear. The first story is centered on the Maestro 2 High, a new iteration of the original Maestro 2 silhouette, a model frequently worn by Pippen prior to him receiving his own signature model. The Maestro 2 High is a reworked version of Fieg’s own design. The tooling remains true to the original but the upper has been heightened, thanks to an elevated inner-sock with added straps, as well as modified to feature a medial-side tech zipper for functionality, an offset lacing system, and a Swoosh on the toe box. The two colorways include an original purple rendition as well as a twist on the OG red colorway. The purple is a nod to Pippen’s college days at UCA, while the red pays homage to the shoes Pippen wore during the 1994 NBA All Star Game when he won MVP. Both Maestro 2 High’s are accompanied by a full assortment of apparel, which includes three sherpa-lined sideline coats with matching tearaway pants, three colorblocked flight suits, as well as hoodies and tees that reimagine classic Nike logos through the Kith lens (such as the Flight logo being changed from an F to a K, and the Just Do It logo becoming Just Us). 

The second story hones in on Scottie’s first signature model, the Pippen 1. Remaining cohesive with the first half of the collection, the Pippen 1 is offered in two colorways, one of which is an original multi-animal print version and the other which is an updated ode to the OG black model. The Chimera colorway represents the idea that Pippen could play any position on the floor and was thus multiple animals in one, similar to the mythological Chimera. The upper features various different animal prints all executed in a lush pony hair. The Black Pony model continues the animal theme while paying tribute to the OG black model from 1997, as the upper is entirely black pony hair. The Pippen 1’s are also accompanied by an array of apparel, including three pullover nylon warm-ups that display an oversized Swoosh logo across the top and bottom, three zip-up warm-ups that take design cues from the Pippen 1, as well as hoodies and tees. This apparel displays a running animal motif, as different animal prints are present throughout. 

The Kith x Nike Take Flight Collection will release in two deliveries. The first delivery will be the Maestro 2 High’s and apparel, which will release on September 29^th. The second delivery will be the Pippen 1’s and apparel, which will release on October 6^th.

Model: Nigel Sylvester

Stylist: Ronnie Fieg

Photography: 13th Witness