DQM x Nike Air Max 90 ‘Bacon’

Dave Ortiz opened ‘Dave’s Quality Meats’ in New York in 2003, and a year later had a collaboration with Nike. Inspired by his local butchers ‘Dave’s Quality Veal’ in the Meat Packing District of NYC, he opened the butcher themed boutique where he packaged the products as if they were actual pieces of meat.

Nike took notice and offered him a collaboration. They gave him three months to come up with a concept.

The night before the deadline, he’d had a few drinks, stumbled over to his friend’s house, and then went out for some food. Key Food, Fifth Ave, Brooklyn. Bread. Cheese. Eggs… BACON. It hit him like a tonne of bricks.

A bacon-themed Air Max 90.

After a few odd looks from the cashier and a cheeky “Think you have enough bacon?”, he was back at his friend’s place, no computer, just five packs of bacon and a pantone book.

After spending hours matching up all the pinks and red hues, he had it. A rich red premium suede around the mudguard, medial and lateral sides and the lower section of the eye stay. Hits of pink on the swoosh, tongue, heel and visible air unit. And all this rounded off with some soft beige and dark brown.

Dave, always choosing function over fashion, picked the Air Max 90 so he would have something comfortable to wear at the store all day. And, he wasn’t sure how his concept would land with Nike Creative Director Jesse Leyva, but he was right behind it.

Cut to 2021… and a chance to buy a piece of history returns. I’ll certainly be keeping an eye out for these. To think there wasn’t much of a line to speak of on their initial release, and now they’re selling for $1200/pair on StockX. Dave himself couldn’t have imagined this happening.

Think you have enough bacon?

The Nike Air Max 90 ‘Bacon’ is set to release on March 26th for Air Max Day… who else is glued to SNKRS for this one?

[pics via SneakerNews]