Comfort and luxury are two areas I wanted to focus on in making this pair, which presented a small challenge; as those are not always the first things to come to mind when we see the color black. The good thing, however, is that I love a challenge; which is really what this pair is all about.

 

Leading things off, I quilted some black velvet and paired it with a perforated lambskin leather for the liner. With only one more layer on top, the extended tongue is designed to be thin, flexible, comfortable, durable and best of all- stay in place(!) with 5 tongue stabilizers. 

 

Opting for a polished look and feel for the upper, I chose a waxed denim and patent leather combo that when contrasted with the darker, matte appearance of the suede- presents an eye pleasing balance of color & materials.

 

Suede etiquette 101 says to stay away from water- but should you find yourself around a spill, puddle or unexpected rainfall; you can rest easy knowing that the suede was pre-treated for water repellency, and the wax finish on the denim adds great water resistance. The patent leather speaks for itself in this category, but what some may not know is how the material resembles the pair's namesake; the glass-like obsidian rock.

 

Known in many regions to possess healing and grounding properties, the jet black volcanic rock is the perfect metaphor for getting back to accepting the black AF1 as the true streetwear/footwear staple that it is. Piggybacking off of that sentiment, I included mirrors in the vents for the cool kids- as a metaphor for looking at what they're actually perpetuating by trashing the black Air Force 1.

 

"Profiling is weird behavior. Don't be weird."

- Abraham Lincoln probably, 1864