In this Article Nike‘s Air Rift is one of the most unexampled shoes in the entire Nike Running lineage. Debuted in 1996, the Air Rift was the Swoosh’s first shoe that promoted natural motion — serving as an unintentional precursor to the wildly popular Nike Free line — and drew from the strength, grace and strides of Kenyan distance runners, who’d often train barefoot. In the years since, the Air Rift has become a cult classic casual choice due to its stripped-back upper and striking Tabi toe, inspired by the fault line in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley. Now, with summer 2021 right around the corner, Nike Sportswear has brought the Air Rift back in two of its original colorways: black/white and white.