SoleGRIND
There is something about a cracked leather finish that just works on an Air Force 1. Maybe it is the fact that the AF1 has always been a shoe people beat into the ground anyway, so starting with a pre-cracked upper feels like skipping ahead to the good part. Nike seems to agree, because they are bringing the look to the Air Force 1 ’01 build this fall with a two-pair “Cracked Leather” Pack.
Let me get the shape stuff out of the way first. The ’01 build is the one people actually want. It sits lower through the toe, looks leaner from the side, and just has a better silhouette than the chunkier AF1s Nike has pushed in recent years. If you have been collecting Air Forces for a while, you know the difference immediately. The 2001 shape is the correct shape.
Now the material. The cracked patent leather covers the overlays, toe panels, and Swooshes on both colorways. It gives the upper a glossy, broken-in look that reads more vintage than distressed. Think of a well-worn leather jacket that has developed character over time, not a shoe that looks like it came out of a dryer. White leather fills in the base on both pairs, with matching laces and midsoles keeping things from getting too busy.
The black pair is the one I would grab first. The contrast between the cracked black overlays and the white base is sharp, and the black rubber outsole ties it together without any extra noise. The green pair, which Nike is calling Menta, is the wildcard. I have not seen a green AF1 look this clean in a while. The cracked finish on the green overlays gives it a slightly retro feel that I think is going to hit differently in person.
Both colorways carry the JA0248 style code, with the black sitting at JA0248-300 and the Menta at JA0248-001. Retail is $140 for either pair, which is standard for an AF1 ’01 at this point. Not a budget pick, but not a collab tax either. The release is expected to hit in September 2026, so these should be landing very soon if they are not already out there.
Nike Air branding stays in the usual spots on the tongue, heel, and midsole. No special packaging, no extra hangtags, no collaborative backstory. This is just Nike doing what Nike does best, taking a classic silhouette and giving it a texture that makes you want to pick it up and look closer. The cracked leather is the selling point here, and it is enough.
I think the ’01 Cracked Leather Pack is going to be one of those releases that flies under the radar and then everyone regrets sleeping on. The 2001 shape already has a dedicated following, and adding a finish that looks better the more you wear it is a smart move. If you have been waiting for Nike to do something interesting with the AF1 that is not another collaborative project, this is it.
Grab the black pair if you want something that goes with everything. Grab the Menta if you want something that most people will not have. Either way, the cracked leather on the ’01 shape is a combination I can get behind.
