Key Points
- Nike By You launched a customizable Air Force 1 Low celebrating the Knicks' 2026 championship at $140.
- Eleven customization options include Knicks blue, orange, and white panels, with championship branding on the tongue and insole.
- The shoe went live online June 15 and will be available in-store at Nike SoHo on June 16.
- A separate pre-made AF1 Retro NYC PRM "Knicks" (IV2705-819, $130) dropped May 22.
Nike is letting New York build its own championship shoe. The Nike By You Air Force 1 Low "NYC" launched June 15 at $140, offering 11 customization options in Knicks blue, orange, and white. Championship branding appears on the tongue label and insole — the rest is up to the buyer.
The customization
The build options cover the upper panels, Swoosh, midsole, outsole, tongue, heel, and lining, all drawing from a Knicks-coded color palette. Nike is positioning it as a one-time commemorative drop rather than a permanent By You option — once the stock is gone, the configuration closes. It went live online June 15 and will be available for in-store builds at Nike SoHo on June 16.
The wider push
This is not Nike's first Knicks championship shoe. A separate pre-made AF1 Retro NYC PRM "Knicks" (style IV2705-819, $130) dropped on May 22 in orange, blue, and white with embroidered NYC branding — a simpler, grab-and-go option for the same celebration. The By You version adds the customization premium and the personal angle: you pick the panels, Nike adds the championship marks.
The read
Nike By You has been inconsistent — the platform has shrunk from its peak customization options and occasionally disappears from key silhouettes entirely. But a championship-edition Air Force 1 in New York, available in-store at SoHo, is the exact use case the platform was built for: a city-specific moment that no pre-made colorway can capture as well as a shoe the buyer designed. At $140, it is $10 above the pre-made version and a fraction of what the resale market will charge for any limited Knicks drop. For Nike, it is a low-risk way to capitalize on a once-in-52-years moment.
Source: Complex, Sole Retriever
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