chris labrooy twists NIKE presto ultra flyknit into emoji-like illustrations

chris labrooy continues to question reality with his surrealist illustrations of the recently revived NIKE ‘air presto ultra flyknit’ shoes. the UK-based designer has previously cast his lucid dreams upon japan’s rich automotive and animation culture in ‘twisted and tangled cars’ in tokyo, and has played with the iconic 1973 porsche 911 carrera RS in his study ‘911’. now he takes the recognizable sneaker design from the millenium, forming emoji-like shapes and symbols in a similar fashion to an entertainer twisting balloon animals.

all images © christopher labrooy

chris labrooy’s NIKE ‘presto ultra flyknit’ illustrations each exhibit a positive image, heavily contrasted against the background: a love heart delicately bound together by a shoe lace; a shoe-hand throwing up a powerful peace sign; a set of bright blue lips grinning to reveal a white sole for teeth; a white walt disney-esque shoe-glove giving a thumbs-up; and a star composed of a different material on each of it’s corners.

originally released in 2000, the nike ‘air presto’ became famous for its irreverent advertising, alpha sizing, comfort and innovative sock-like construction. in the decade and a half since, the shoe has transcended performance running to become a sport-style fixture. now, 16 years after its introduction, nike has updated the icon with new materials and technology.