On Friday, September 18th, Nike Sportswear and Mercury Music prize winning recording artist Dizzee Rascal will release the very special, and strictly limited, Nike Air Max 90 ‘Tongue N’ Cheek’ sneaker.  Created in a special partnership between Dizzee, Nike Design and long-time Dizzee collaborator and creative director, Ben Drury, who has designed the artwork for three of Dizzee’s albums, including his new record ‘Tongue N’ Cheek’, said, “We’ve had a long standing creative relationship dating back to Dizzee’s first album, ‘Boy In Da Corner’. Independently, we’ve also both had close links with Nike and it just made perfect sense to come together on this project and join the dots. It was an organic, almost unconscious process.”

Dizzee and Drury collaborative works to date are compelling because there’s a duality. With this design, the almost obvious literal titular graphics are countered by subtle execution. Drury explains, “The tongue-it’s pink. Like a tongue.  The ‘u’ in the embroidery takes the form of a tongue. All this is countered by the subtlety and quality of the materials used. Premium leathers complimented with transparent details. With Dizzee, it’s all upfront – he’s straight up, clear. He is in the world’s spotlight. That’s why this shoe is super bright and fresh. Brushed suede may not be most practical material for London, but that reflects Dizzee’s life right now-he gets dropped off on the red carpet, no fronting!  We all set out to make a shoe which could take a bit of punishment and still look fresh, which we think we have achieved here” said Drury.

The Air Max 90 ‘Tongue N’ Cheek’ is constructed from a subtle combination of chalk white premium grade soft leather and high knap premium suede. The toe box features an additional perforated detailing in the leather which is carried through the heel wrap. The tongue is contrasting pink premium leather with suede back detail and features Tongue [right foot] and Cheek [left foot] special red embroidery detail. The Air Max is further personalised with a reflective Dizzee man heel tab logo, a transparent Swoosh, a special two piece outsole comprised of white and clear rubber revealing Dizzee’s Dirty Stank Recordings logo and two tone laces with reflective stitch details. The sneaker launches just days before Dizzee releases his fourth album Tongue N’ Cheek.  Coming out on Dirtee Stank, it features the huge Number One singles ‘Dance Wiv Me’ and ‘Bonkers’ and new single ‘Holiday’ which sees Dizzee teaming up with Calvin Harris and Chrome, the same duo that Dizzee worked with on ‘Dance Wiv Me.’

The Nike Air Max 90 ‘Tongue N’ Cheek’ will be available exclusively at:
Nike Sportswear 1948
Arches 477-478, Bateman’s Row
Shoreditch, London, EC2A 3HH
Tel: +44 (0)207 729 7688

When:
Friday, September 18, 2009.

***
For more info, visit here.