Supreme has a knack for sifting through old Nike catalogs and reviving models that some of their fans never even knew existed.
That is what Nike’s Air Humara is at first glance an old and long-forgotten trail shoe that made its debut way back in 1998. While Supreme may have now brought the Air Humara back into the mainstream in the form of the updated Air Humara ’17, the original model has an interesting history that predates the upcoming collaboration.
What most people don’t know is that the Air Humara was designed by legendary Nike designer Peter Fogg and almost didn’t even make it to production.
In an interview with TheShoeGame, Fogg explained that his developer didn’t like the shoe and wanted to stop working on it. If it hadn’t been for his marketing team believing in the design and fighting for it, Fogg’s vision may never have been realized.
Fogg was with Nike for over 16 years and is the designer behind many classic shoes from Nike’s Running and ACG lines. These include the Air Terra Humara, Air Humara, Tallac Pro and ACG Watercat. To really understand how influential Fogg was in Nike’s Trail department as well as ACG and Nike Basketball lines one has to look no further than perhaps the greatest cosign a sneaker designer can get. The late Gary Warnett, who was one of the most influential footwear journalists of our time, put several of Fogg’s designs in his ranking of the 25 best ACG models of all time. To say Warnett was an ACG aficionado would be an understatement. “ACG is a place where Nike’s greatest designers could go wild,” said Warnett of his attraction to the subline. And one of those designers? Peter Fogg, of course.
What makes the Air Humara special is that it was Fogg’s very first shoe at Nike, and remains one of his favorites for that very reason. Back in 1998, the goal was to create a shoe that had a look of technical precision. Fogg, coming from a background in designing airplane interiors, was inspired by the wheel and front disc brake on a motorcycle, which is why the fingers on the shoe radiate from the center like spokes. Since then, the Air Humara has been reimagined as an Air Max runner while also being re-released in various colorways and materials. Fast forward almost 20 years and Supreme has put its signature on the classic trail shoe: the ultimate co-sign in today’s day and age, especially for a relatively unknown vintage silhouette. Of course, it’s no accident that Supreme chose a trail sneaker for its next Nike collaboration. Both brands are aware that this is one of the hottest footwear trends right now. Supreme leaves the majority of the design untouched so as to preserve what ended up being a very well designed classic, instead focusing on bold colorways and emphatic branding, which can be seen on the shoe’s forefoot, pull tabs and heel. In addition to the shoes, Nike and Supreme are reportedly releasing a collection of apparel that includes a track jacket, track pants and a hat – all of which are just as ready for the wilderness as the Air Humara.
Fogg was with Nike for over 16 years and is the designer behind many classic shoes from Nike’s Running and ACG lines. These include the Air Terra Humara, Air Humara, Tallac Pro and ACG Watercat. To really understand how influential Fogg was in Nike’s Trail department as well as ACG and Nike Basketball lines one has to look no further than perhaps the greatest cosign a sneaker designer can get. The late Gary Warnett, who was one of the most influential footwear journalists of our time, put several of Fogg’s designs in his ranking of the 25 best ACG models of all time. To say Warnett was an ACG aficionado would be an understatement. “ACG is a place where Nike’s greatest designers could go wild,” said Warnett of his attraction to the subline. And one of those designers? Peter Fogg, of course.
What makes the Air Humara special is that it was Fogg’s very first shoe at Nike, and remains one of his favorites for that very reason. Back in 1998, the goal was to create a shoe that had a look of technical precision. Fogg, coming from a background in designing airplane interiors, was inspired by the wheel and front disc brake on a motorcycle, which is why the fingers on the shoe radiate from the center like spokes. Since then, the Air Humara has been reimagined as an Air Max runner while also being re-released in various colorways and materials. Fast forward almost 20 years and Supreme has put its signature on the classic trail shoe: the ultimate co-sign in today’s day and age, especially for a relatively unknown vintage silhouette. Of course, it’s no accident that Supreme chose a trail sneaker for its next Nike collaboration. Both brands are aware that this is one of the hottest footwear trends right now. Supreme leaves the majority of the design untouched so as to preserve what ended up being a very well designed classic, instead focusing on bold colorways and emphatic branding, which can be seen on the shoe’s forefoot, pull tabs and heel. In addition to the shoes, Nike and Supreme are reportedly releasing a collection of apparel that includes a track jacket, track pants and a hat – all of which are just as ready for the wilderness as the Air Humara.
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