Forget the Pigeon: Nike's "Rat" Air Force 1 Is Claiming NYC

Over the last 40 years, Nike has delivered many love letters to New York City in the form of grit-inspired, story-driven sneaker releases. One repeat canvas has been the Air Force 1, which has dressed up like the rats seen all across NYC's subway system.

Bruce Kilgore's "presidential" design from 1982 is getting ready to celebrate its 45th anniversary in 2027. As such, the old school Nike Basketball silhouette has popped up in handfuls of different makeovers over the last few months, with dozens more already promised between now and the beginning of 2028. The "NYC Rat" Air Force 1 is far from the range's most-premium (though it does feature hairy suede and the 2001 shape), but it might go down as one of the Swoosh's most-important commemorative pairs because of its gritty connection to the "Big Apple."

In recent memory, Nike celebrated New York City with a few Air Forces covered in the colors of the New York Knicks following the NBA franchise's long-awaited title win. For a large chunk of the last 25 years, however, the shoe that was largely synonymous with the land of baconeggandcheeses, Timbs, and the Yankees had been Jeff Staple's pigeon-inspired Nike SB Dunk Low from 2005 (other than, of course, all-white Air Force 1s).

If the Swoosh handles the "NYC Rat" AF-1 release well, there could be a new king in town.

The ode to New York City is subtler at quick-glance on the newly-surfaced Air Force 1 '01, but more complete when fully inspecting the project. The aforementioned hairy suede opts for a "College Grey" color scheme that recreates the four-legged rodent's furry coat. Soft "Pink Glaze" accents appear throughout the shoe—namely a tail-like strip at the heel and the outsole, referencing a rat's pink-colored tail and feet.

Beyond color execution and material-play, the conceptual Air Force 1 features Nike's city-specific "NYC" Swoosh logo behind the tongue tag. A velvety inner lining joins the mix, further bringing the rodent to sneaker-form.

However, the detail that'll surely be celebrated by any native or longtime New Yorker is the MetroCard-inspired hangtag included with the "NYC Rat" AF-1.

The MetroCard was a magnetic stripe card used for fare payment on NYC's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) system. Active from 1994 to 2025, the iconic gold-yellow, blue, and black card has since been discontinued, replaced by the OMNY contactless system. The MetroCard, however, is symbolic of the Big Apple.

Nike's take on the discontinued card sees large "MetroCard" text replaced by a blue Swoosh. When paired with the rest of the design choices found on the Air Force 1, it's obvious that the sportswear juggernaut's "College Grey/Pink Glaze" offering is an ode to New York City by way of the rats that reside all throughout the subway system.

Stay tuned for firm Nike.com release details of the thematic Air Force 1 '01. It's possible the "NYC Rat" sneaker arrives in special packaging and/or gets released via an NYC-exclusive activation that ties the whole story together. Stock numbers for the new AF-1 should be much higher than the aforementioned "Pigeons," permitting the grey Forces to appear all across the city—just like the rodents that inspired them.

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