Nike Honors Phil Knight With "Shoe Dog" Air Force 1 '01

Whenever you think of "NIKE, Inc.," you likely think of your favorite athlete—be it the late Kobe Bryant or Kylian Mbappé—or product before thinking of the company's founders. To this front, the Swoosh has put together a special-edition "Shoe Dog" Air Force 1 '01 release to honor Phil Knight, the ambitious visionary behind the world's biggest sportswear brand.

In October 2025, the Oregon-based company renamed its World HQ to honor Knight. Nike's World Headquarters is now known as the Philip H. Knight Campus as a nod to co-founder's restless spirit, ongoing legacy, and belief in the seemingly impossible. The impending AF-1, which features the same shape as pairs from 2001, further honors the native-Oregonian, who now serves as Chairman Emeritus for NIKE, Inc.

Captured in Paris and shared on social media by Modern Notoriety, the "Shoe Dog" Air Force 1 Low features a white, silver, and green color scheme. The bulk of the sneaker's upper is divvied up between a shimmering silver and plain white, but laces indulge in a muted green. The color trio draws inspiration from the Plymouth Valiant Knight drove during the 1960s—the same car out of which he sold Onitsuka Tiger running shoes beginning in 1964. Yes, you read that right: Nike's co-founder sold a competitor's shoes out of the trunk of his car before Nike became Nike. He did so while operating under the company name of Blue Ribbon Sports.

Knight's 2016 memoir is titled Shoe Dog. In it, he invites readers to learn about his crazy idea to import running shoes from Japan and how that venture went sour; he also discusses financial struggles in the early days of his company; the hippie-type folks that helped build the great U.S. company; and the heights he and his team reached by the 2010s.

Throughout Shoe Dog, Knight leaves no doubt about his obsession with footwear—after all, it's why his memoir is titled Shoe Dog. To Nike's co-founder, a "shoe dog" is someone who In the words of Nike co-founder, a "shoe dog" is either someone who devotes their life to the making, selling, buying, or designing shoes and/or simply obsesses over details as minute as aglets.

Knight's mania is what helped NIKE, Inc. become what it is today, and, when reflected by those at the company, it's arguably when Nike is at its best.

The expected Spring 2027 AF-1 isn't the first time Nike has celebrated either Phil Knight or the Shoe Dog story, but it may go down as the most-compelling.

In addition to borrowing the old school Plymouth Valiant's paint job, the "Shoe Dog" Air Forces see dog bone-shaped lace dubraes stamped with "PK" initials. Furthermore, "Nike Air" branding throughout the shoe is done in a similar font to the Plymouth brand's logo from over 60 years ago. Lastly, the insole features a "Thank You Phil" patch that's stitched onto what appears to be a buyer’s order for the Plymouth Valiant, telling the "Shoe Dog" story through attention to detail.

Stay tuned for firm Nike.com release details of the commemorative Air Force 1 '01. Pairs could land in April 2027 to coincide with the 11th anniversary of Knight releasing his memoir.

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