UNRELEASED OFF-WHITE × AIRWALK COLLAB REVEALS ANOTHER SIDE OF VIRGIL ABLOH’S EARLY SNEAKER VISION

Newly resurfaced design renders suggest that Virgil Abloh was quietly developing a sneaker collaboration between Off‑White and skate footwear label Airwalk as early as 2016 — a project that never ultimately reached production.

The images, shared by creative director Jeff Staple, show early CAD renderings of a conceptual Off-White × Airwalk sneaker that Abloh was exploring during that period. According to Staple, the designs were developed while his studio was working with Airwalk as a client, offering a rare glimpse into what could have been one of Abloh’s earliest footwear collaborations outside of Nike.

The project reportedly dates back to August 2016, when Abloh and collaborators were experimenting with digital design concepts for the partnership. Only months later, however, the trajectory of Abloh’s sneaker career shifted dramatically. In October 2016, Abloh mentioned he had been offered what he described as a “childhood dream scenario” involving sneakers.

That opportunity would soon materialize as Nike x Off‑White “The Ten” with Nike, the groundbreaking collaboration released in 2017 that redefined modern sneaker design and helped cement Abloh as one of the most influential designers of his generation.

The unreleased Airwalk concept highlights Abloh’s deep connection to skate culture — something often referenced in discussions of his creative influences. Before becoming a global fashion figure, Abloh was known to skate and had worn Airwalk shoes himself, making the potential collaboration feel like a natural extension of his personal history.

Even though the Off-White × Airwalk project never moved beyond the design stage, the resurfaced renders add another chapter to Abloh’s expansive creative archive, illustrating how many ideas were developing behind the scenes before his Nike partnership reshaped the sneaker landscape.