’s Alpha Project is the gift that keeps on giving, even two decades after it’s inception. This time we welcome back a deep cut: the Air Kukini. Designed by Sean McDowell and released in 2000, it was one of the wildest shoes on the market. Even after 22 years, the Kukini still stands out amongst the crowd.
Doing away with laces, your feet are locked in by a stretchy web inspired by skier Pablo Street’s kit at the ’98 Winter Olympics. Although designed for triathletes to slip on during competition, it’ll save precious seconds when you zip down the shops for a choccy milk. The sole sports a Max Air bubble and some tricky drainage holes — a feature added during testing for triathlete Mark Allen, to stop water pooling in his shoes.
This version is even wilder thanks to a leopard print upper, something that means you’re likely to be getting a lot of comments about your shoes. It’s all tied together nicely with a hit of orange inside the air bubble, because it’s the little things that matter most...