What started as a fun colorway almost grew into a legal battle as the Nike Experimental Air Force 1 “USPS” caught heat from the U.S. Postal Service as the company didn’t approve the colorway.
The USPS originally stated on April 5 that “officially licensed products sold in the marketplace expand the affinity for the Postal Service brand and provide incremental revenue through royalties that directly support it. Sales of unauthorized and unlicensed products deny support to the hardworking women and men of the Postal Service” (statement via Input Magazine).
The threat of legal action on behalf of the USPS came amidst the Lil Nas X and MSCHF lawsuit in which Nike won the argument that the “Satan” shoe caused confusion in the marketplace and harmed Nike’s image in return. Sneakerheads and the USPS called the Swoosh out on its double standard as the USPS looked to protect its intellectual property and image as Nike did.
A month later, it seems that no love was lost between the footwear giant and the USPS as the Postal Service approved the Nike Experimental Air Force 1 “USPS.”
Read the statement from the U.S. Postal Service below (h/t Edgar Alvarez):
“The U.S. Postal Service and NIKE, Inc. are pleased to announce they have come to a resolution on the upcoming release of Nike footwear inspired by the U.S. Postal Service. The Experimental Nike Air Force 1 footwear are officially licensed by the U.S. Postal Service. Any early images of this shoe were not authorized for release by Nike.”
Official release information is yet to be announced, so keep an eye on the monitors for the pair. As always, keep it locked for more Nike news, and head over to SoleSavy to learn more about the most genuine sneaker community out there and how to buy upcoming releases like this one.
