Nike built the Striker 1979 Cryoshot in a graffiti-style treatment by Lagos-based artist Slawn as part of the brand’s X2 World Cup project, and this particular colorway represents Nigeria, a country that did not qualify for the 2026 World Cup but earned a spot in the collection regardless.
Nike has been one of the dominant forces in global football for decades, supplying kits and footwear to national federations and club sides across every continent. The brand’s place in sneaker and boot culture is built as much on its cultural partnerships and design ambition as on performance technology, and the X2 project reflects that approach directly. Rather than limiting the collection to the 32 nations that made it to the tournament, Nike widened the scope to include countries that carry enormous weight in football culture, and Nigeria is one of those countries.
The Striker 1979 is the silhouette at the center of the Cryoshot concept that runs through the entire X2 line. Nike took the original boot geometry and used injection molding to encase its stud cluster inside a clear TPU outsole. The studs from the 1979 boot are sealed inside that sole and remain fully visible, so the shoe carries its original architecture while becoming wearable on pavement. It is a preservation method as much as a design choice, turning a piece of boot history into something a person can actually wear off the pitch.
Slawn is a Nigerian-born, London-raised visual artist whose work is rooted in graffiti culture and draws on the energy and color of Lagos street life. His contribution to the X2 collection is the most expressive design in the set. Where other collaborators in the line approached their designs with restraint, Slawn put color and graphic density across the Striker 1979 in a way that matches the loudness of the culture he is representing. His name carries real weight in contemporary art and streetwear circles, and the pairing with a Nigerian football release makes sense on every level.
Nike also tied this drop to the Bravehearts Ladies Foundation, a nonprofit that works to support young female athletes across Sub-Saharan Africa. That connection gives the release a layer beyond the design itself and reflects how Nike framed the Nigeria inclusion, not as a qualifying story but as a cultural one.
The Nike Striker 1979 Cryoshot designed by Slawn for Nigeria is part of the X2 World Cup project. Release details including a confirmed price and specific retailer have not been announced in available information, so check Nike.com and follow SNKRS for updates as they come. If this release has you interested, it is worth exploring more of Nike’s football-rooted silhouettes and the broader X2 collection to see how the other collaborators approached the same Cryoshot concept.
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