Nike and COMME des GARÇONS have an eye for the classics. The several recent CDG x Nike sneaker collabs have been pretty classic in aesthetic, if not in age.
The CDG x Nike Air Max TL 2.5 shoe is just another great addition to the hot streak.
Revealed during COMME des GARÇONS HOMME PLUS’ Fall/Winter 2024 collection runway show, as most of CDG’s collaborative shoes so often are, the CDG x Nike Air Max TL 2.5 is a tech’d-out throwback, a real retro runner that most Swoosh fans likely were not familiar with beforehand.
CDG’s own press release describes the shoes as “One of several obscure models from the late 2000s,” indicating that the Nike Air Max TL 2.5 sneaker really is a deep cut deserving of a CDG facelift.
And, keeping in line with Nike’s rollout strategies, this collaboration is merely the beginning for the Air Max TL 2.5. Nike’s already planning to reissue more iterations of the chunky Air Max shoe come 2025.
But first comes the CDG x Nike Air Max TL 2.5, dropping September 21 on Dover Street Market’s website and stores for $290.
This is a very CDG version of a very Nike sneaker, rendered simply in black, white, and black and white. Branding is bold but also easy to miss if you aren’t paying attention, because such is CDG’s wont.
It mirrors the minimalist inclinations of CDG’s recent Nike sneakers, including a chunky Air Max 96, ultra-simple Foamposite, and perfectly plain ACG trail runner.
This is a CDG design trope at this point, one that sneakerheads must simply learn to love or leave. You can see this unpretentious approach mirrored across the Japanese fashion giant’s many sub-labels, from CDG’s simple The North Face outerwear to CDG HOMME’s (not HOMME PLUS) single-tone New Balance slip-ons.
Simple, slick, and (relatively) light on the logos. That’s CDG x Nike.