Arts-Rec x Nike SB Air Trainer 1 sneakers: First look, design details, and everything we know so far 

Nike Store At Fashion Valley In San Diego - Source: Getty
Nike Store At Fashion Valley In San Diego - Source: Getty

San Diego-based Arts-Rec, founded by pro skateboarder Kellen James in 2018, is now a meeting point for both skate culture and sneakerheads. The brand will now collaborate with Nike SB on a reworked version of the Air Trainer 1.

This collaboration has garnered a lot of attention, especially for its relevance to the skateboarding community, but also due to its bold design direction. Scheduled for release in Fall 2025, the shoes will balance functionality and style to appeal to collectors and skaters.

The Arts-Rec x Nike SB Air Trainer 1 is said to be coming in a bold colorway inspired by San Diego's vibrant culture. Official images have yet to surface, but the collaboration speaks volumes about Arts-Rec's influence and its founder's skateboarding legacy.

Let's dive into what we know so far about this exciting release.


Arts-Rec x Nike SB collaboration draws inspiration from San Diego’s skateboarding culture

Arts-Rec and Nike SB come together in the celebration of skateboarding in harmony with sneaker culture. The Air Trainer 1 will be inspired by San Diego's rich heritage and will be in colorways of Limestone, Pink Quartz, Earth, Dusty Peach, Black, and Desert Sand. Colors are said to represent the power of the energetic city and Kellen James' skateboarding journey. A premium material would speak more of a good design that should be functional yet classy, which any skater as well as a sneakerhead would be proud of.


The sneakers combine functionality with Arts-Rec’s unique creative vision

Drawing inspiration from the multi-functional features of the Nike SB Air Trainer 1, this collaboration integrates the requirements of skaters and collectors with skate-readiness and streetwear sensibility. Design-wise, this model should reveal considered subtleties reflecting both requirements for a skate-inspired yet collectible product. These kicks, with their sturdy functionality combined with style, ensure wearers of their suitability in a skate park or for a casual look, thanks to careful material utilization to be long-lasting but not bulky.


The release strategy highlights the collaboration’s local roots and global appeal

Expected to arrive in Fall 2025, the Arts-Rec x Nike SB Air Trainer 1 will have its initial rollout as an in-store exclusive to the Arts-Rec stores of San Diego, after which the drop will land online on Nike.com for further availability.

Selling for $160, this pair is destined to appeal to a global marketplace, skaters, and collector bases. In short, it demonstrates the deeper cultural roots with which the collab has in the skate culture in San Diego and accepts its broader marketability.


The Arts-Rec x Nike SB Air Trainer 1 delivers the real feeling of San Diego's thriving skate culture and the creativeness of the Arts-Rec; all this is in that fusion of two cultures: skateboarding and innovative sneaker culture.

Buckle up now, as everyone's eyes are on this same drop ahead of Fall 2025—the skateboarding community and sneakerheads alike are waiting for it to hit stores everywhere in all of its glory.

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Edited by Sangeeta Mathew
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