JMDY | SF Factory Update | Travis Scott x Nike Air Force 1 Low ’07 “Ice Blue” 🧊
A couple of days ago, I visited the SF Factory and got a closer look at their development work on the Travis Scott x Nike Air Force 1 Low ’07 “Ice Blue”. Here’s the latest update
The Upper Material Is the Main Challenge 🐘
One of the most important parts of this project is the upper material. The retail pair uses a very specific ostrich-textured leather. At first glance, it might look like simple embossed leather, but reproducing the actual surface effect is much more difficult than it seems. Several details affect how close the material looks to retail:
• Grain size
• Texture density
• Texture depth
• Softness
• Flexibility
• Thickness
• How the surface reflects light
Even small differences in these characteristics can make the final shoe look noticeably different from retail.
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SF’s Initial Material Testing 🔬
SF initially tested locally available leather in China, but the results weren’t close enough to the retail pair. The biggest issue was the texture. It might look relatively similar when the leather is flat, but once the material is cut, shaped and stretched during production, the texture changes and becomes noticeably different from retail. Because of this, SF decided not to simply use a “close enough” domestic substitute.
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New Leather Has Been Ordered 🧪
SF has now ordered custom leather made to match the retail material specification as closely as possible.
The goal isn’t just to reproduce the visible ostrich-style texture.
They are also trying to match:
Texture + hand feel + flexibility + thickness + overall surface finish
Basically, the goal is to get the material behaving and looking as close to the retail pair as possible, rather than just copying the appearance from photos.
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Why the Material Matters So Much 👀
This is one of the more interesting parts of factory development.
When looking at a replica from photos, people usually focus on:
Shape → Stitching → Colors → Details
But with a shoe like this, the material itself can make a huge difference. Even if the overall shape is accurate, incorrect leather texture can immediately make the shoe look different from retail. If the grain, depth or surface finish is wrong, the difference becomes especially noticeable under different lighting.
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Current Development Reference 📸
The pair shown in the photos is the retail reference pair currently being used by SF during development. Once the new leather arrives and the next sample is completed, I’ll take a closer look at:
- Material texture
- Color Panel shape
- Overall finish
- Texture under different lighting
I’ll also compare the new sample directly against the retail pair.
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Final Thoughts 📋
For this project, I think the leather choice will be one of the biggest factors determining how close the final product can get to retail. The shape and construction are obviously important, but on this specific Air Force 1, getting the upper material right is a major part of making the shoe look correct. I’ll post another update once the new leather arrives and the next sample is finished.