The all-black Nike Air Force 1. It’s a shoe that needs no introduction. 

The protagonist in many memes and the dark-colored counterpart to a pair of “Uptowns”, Nike's all-black AF1 sneaker is finally getting a serious material upgrade. The Nike Air Force 1 “Black Cat” shoe is the same classic monochrome sneaker but turned feline. 

Ditching its typical grained black leather exterior, this take on Nike's classic AF1 sneaker is covered in a textured fuzzy suede. Almost the entire upper is decked out in the coarse material, making it look particularly plush. 

Beyond its new suede look, the “Black Cat” AF1 sneaker also features a double-stacked swoosh with two of Nike’s inimitable logos layered atop each other for a bit of subtle statement flair. 

This ilk of stealthy suede colorway has been regularly found on Nike's Jordan Brand sneakers.

It all began in 2006 with the Jordan 4 shoe and has recently expanded to include everything from the newly debuted, skate-adjacent Flight Court model to the classic AJ3.

These blacked-out suede shoes were all at some point given the nickname “Black Cat,” officially or not, on account of their color and hair-like outer. The term is also a low-key reference to Michael Jordan himself, who earned the moniker with on-court ferocity and speed.

Now, the Air Force 1, the one of the first Nike basketball shoes and therefore the forefather to all those Jordans, is also getting the “Black Cat” colorway treatment. And not even for the first time — the AF1 "Black Cat" first debuted in 2024.

The "Black Cat" AF1 shoe is dropping on Nike's website in the coming weeks, once again just in time for summer. And it’s not the only soft-textured pair of all-black AF1s arriving this summer.

There are also some silky satin pairs headed for shop floors, joining the legion of impressively luxe all-black Nike hoop shoes already available for muted summertime fits.