The first thing I notice about this Air Max 1 is where the pattern isn’t. The safari print — those grey, lightly pebbled speckles — sits only on the overlays: the toe, the mudguard, the swoosh and the heel. The rest of the upper is smooth, off-white leather. That makes the shoe read far calmer than a safari print usually does.
That’s exactly what makes this version wearable for me. A safari print across the whole shoe gets busy fast; here it’s neatly framed, an accent instead of a statement.
The grey does the work, not the colour
The base is Summit White with a warm Sail undertone in the midsole, so it’s not a clinical bright white but something softer. The grey of the print is the only real second colour. Only up close do you catch the bluish hint — Photon Dust — on the tongue label and in the Air window. It’s subtle enough that most people won’t even notice, and that’s what I like about it here.
For everyday wear it’s an easy one. It works with jeans, grey trousers or off-white basics — everything that’s already in the wardrobe. And unlike a plain white Air Max 1, the print hides small scuffs better, so it keeps looking clean for longer. And no, not a trace of pink this time, a shame for me. But to be fair: this pair doesn’t need it.
Cheaper on resale than in some shops
This Safari version of the Air Max 1 released on 3 March 2023, with a retail price around 150 euros. Right now most regular shops sit somewhere between 129 and 195 euros depending on your size, with one outlier up at 259 euros. On the resale side it can actually be cheaper: StockX lists it around 109 euros, below a good chunk of the regular listings.
A note for UK and US readers: almost all of the live listings here are in euros — there’s a single US listing on StockX around 89 dollars, but no pound prices at the moment. If you’re buying from outside the eurozone, factor in shipping and import before you compare. Within the euro listings, roughly a dozen Nike stockists carry it.
One more thing: this is originally a women’s colorway, so the size run differs from a standard men’s release — check which size sits where before you buy. The Hypescore is sitting right near the top, so the interest is clearly there, but that doesn’t mean you have to grab the first price you see.
Would I wear it myself? Yes, without hesitation. It’s one of those pairs that don’t need to stand out to still be right. Before you check out anywhere, line up the shops and the resale side on Solezilla, compare sizes per shop, and see where your size sits for the sharpest price.