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It's been a long time coming, but the opportunity to create a Nike Bespoke AF1 was about as invigorating a sneaker-related experience as I've had in the last few years. It's easy to become jaded, and like a gateway drug, the addictive sensation of going iD on Dunk and Max models creates the desire to mess around with more and more on a shoe. The original AF1 tweaks were cool, and the 25th anniversary temporary studio on Ganton Street offered some extra materials to play with. Then there were the colour change premium options at Oxford Street's NikeTown. They were all good, but you're still tethered by what's on screen.

On finally getting some time out to get busy on an Uptown in that room at the fabled room at the back of NYC's Mercer Street retail space, it didn't disappoint. Scotchlite colours, denims, several Safari print leathers, patent, clear soles in numerous shades, ballistic nylons....it's easy to get lost in the excitement and hurl as much as you can at the nineteen plus pieces the shoe offers.

Not wandering in with a head full of concepts made the appointment with an alarmingly patient Mau more interesting. If it doesn't quite work for you, there's often leeway to amend or alter a fabric's appearance. Reversing or omitting standard elements is like the hidden menu at In-N-Out. It increases your chances of originality too, but there's a sense that Mayor and Clark Kent are slowly working the angles with every conceivable combination.

You don't want to wander into the studio like some idiot on a tattoo reality show, babbling about the hidden meanings on the work your getting. Sometimes it's nice just to put something on a shoe because it looks nice, but when you're talking $820+, you're quite liable to treat the shoe with the same reverence as you would your own skin. You might even approach the task even more gravely than you would with ink and pores.

So it's inevitable that some concepts are liable to leak into the subconscious prior to a design session.

Being in NYC, and visiting the Knicks' stomping ground the day before might have inspired the orange and navy. Talk of Patrick Ewing's bad beige suits with Selectism's Nick Schonberger the evening prior may have played their part too. My all-time favourite internet video and response, with Chopper City's suit getting the mother of all talkback roastings on Worldstarhiphop.com (notably, one response read, “OLE PATRICK EWING 1985 FIRST ROUND DRAFT PICK SUIT A** F*** BOIIIIIIIIII LOLLL") was discussed at length over dinner too. It all sits somewhere, waiting for an opportune moment. All that, plus an attempt to homage the spirit of '01's AF1 Low colourways. Transparent midsoles are too flossy for an old man like me.

Being able to switch the waxed canvas around to the coarser side was a nice touch, as was the chance to stick denim under the orange canvas swoosh. Removing branding and playing with the outsole pivots was entertaining too. With some post-appointment email back and forth with design consultant iZ to discuss any necessary alterations and find out that the marl grey Loopwheeler lining I'd selected was out of stock and unlikely to return—meaning a switch to nubuck—was uncannily like a "real" collaboration's trials and tribulations.

The keyring swatches and branded Moleskine notebook are nice touches too. You might need to be balling out of control or freeloading in spectacular style to got one, but Nike Bespoke is definitely the most complete custom experience out there. Shouts to Simon, Mau, iZ and all at Nike for the assistance.