Nike x Off-White The Ten: Every Pair Explained
Off-White The Ten explained: all ten Nike sneakers Virgil Abloh reworked in 2017, the Revealing and Ghosting groups, and the pairs that followed.
Off-White The Ten is the sneaker collection that changed collaborations forever. In 2017, Virgil Abloh, founder of the label Off-White, took ten classic Nike shoes and rebuilt them with exposed foam, see-through panels, zip ties and Helvetica text. The result felt like a designer’s sketchbook turned into real sneakers. In this guide we explain every pair in Off-White The Ten, how the collection was organized, and the pairs that came after it.
What Is Off-White The Ten?
Off-White The Ten is a collection of ten Nike and Jordan sneakers redesigned by Virgil Abloh and released in 2017. His idea was to “deconstruct” icons: show their inner structure, label their parts and make the design process visible.
Signature details appear across the whole collection:
- Text in quotation marks, like “AIR” on the midsole or “SHOELACES” on the laces
- A plastic zip tie attached to the shoe
- Exposed foam on the tongue and visible stitching
- Translucent panels that reveal the inside of the shoe
The Two Groups: Revealing and Ghosting
Abloh split Off-White The Ten into two themes.
Revealing
These five pairs were cut open and rebuilt by hand, with exposed parts and new layers:
- Air Jordan 1
- Nike Blazer Mid
- Nike Air Max 90
- Nike Air Presto
- Nike Air VaporMax
Ghosting
These five pairs use translucent materials to show what is inside:
- Nike Air Max 97
- Nike Air Force 1 Low
- Nike React Hyperdunk 2017
- Nike Zoom Vaporfly
- Converse Chuck Taylor All Star ’70
The Most Famous Pairs of Off-White The Ten
Air Jordan 1 ‘Chicago’
The headline pair of Off-White The Ten. The Air Jordan 1 x Off-White ‘Chicago’ keeps the original 1985 colors and adds a floating Swoosh, an exposed tongue, a zip tie and “AIR” on the midsole. Many collectors see it as the most important sneaker of the last decade.
Air Force 1 Low
The Nike x Off-White Air Force 1 Low ‘The Ten’ uses a white upper with translucent panels, an oversized stitched Swoosh and Helvetica text. It showed that even the simplest classic could be reimagined.
The Pairs That Came After Off-White The Ten
After Off-White The Ten, Virgil Abloh and Nike kept working together. Many later pairs used the same design language.
Air Jordan 1 ‘White’ and ‘UNC’
In 2018, two new Jordan 1 colorways followed. The Air Jordan 1 x Off-White ‘White’ was a Europe-exclusive release, and the Air Jordan 1 x Off-White ‘UNC’ honored the University of North Carolina.
Air Jordan 5 ‘Muslin’
The Air Jordan 5 x Off-White ‘Muslin’ brought Abloh’s style to the Jordan 5 with a see-through side panel and a neutral palette.
Air Force 1 Event and City Pairs
Abloh also made Air Force 1s tied to places and events, like the Air Force 1 ‘MCA’ for his museum exhibition in Chicago, the Air Force 1 ‘MoMA’ and the Air Force 1 ‘ComplexCon’ exclusive. Bright colorways like the ‘Lemonade’ and neutral ones like the ‘Sesame’ followed later.
Why Off-White The Ten Still Matters
Before Off-White The Ten, most collaborations simply changed the colors of a shoe. Abloh changed the way people looked at the design itself. He made the process part of the product, and he brought fashion and streetwear closer than ever.
The collection also opened doors for many designers who followed. Today it is studied as a turning point in sneaker culture. You can read more about the designer on the Virgil Abloh page on Wikipedia.
How to Collect Off-White Sneakers
If you want to start collecting Off-White sneakers, here are a few tips:
- Start with the pair you love most, not the one with the highest price.
- Learn the details of each release so you know exactly what to expect.
- Keep the zip tie, extra laces and box: they are part of the shoe’s value.
- Store the shoes away from sunlight, especially the translucent pairs.
Sizing Tips
Most pairs in Off-White The Ten fit like the original models they are based on. The Air Jordan 1 fits true to size for most people, while the Air Force 1 usually runs about half a size large. Our Air Force 1 sizing guide explains this in detail.
Off-White The Ten: Quick Answers
How many pairs are in Off-White The Ten?
Ten, split into the Revealing and Ghosting groups. Many later Off-White x Nike releases are often grouped with them, but they are not part of the original Off-White The Ten.
Which pair is the rarest?
The Air Jordan 1 ‘Chicago’ is the most famous and one of the most valuable, but rarity depends on size and condition.
Shop Off-White at HouseOfKix
Browse our full Nike x Off-White collection to find pairs from Off-White The Ten and the releases that followed. For another Virgil Abloh story, read about the Nike Louis Vuitton Air Force 1.
