After returning from an out of this world trip to Houston’s Area 72 facility in 2013, Nike Sportswear heads to New Orleans. Shifting focus from the extraterrestrial inspiration of last years Area 72 collection back toward earth, the Big Easy’s festive and diverse atmosphere serves up a platter of footwear your senses won’t soon forget.

As the NOLA Gumbo League Collection pays homage to what happens on the hardwood, the Nike Sportswear Crescent City Collection lionizes the characteristics that make New Orleans different from anyplace else: the food, culture and distinctive wildlife. These three qualities take center stage on Nike’s Flystepper 2K3, Air Up ’14, and Air Force 1 Low CMFT — designs as unique as the city that inspired them.

AIR UP ‘14
Crawfish are a NOLA staple and any New Orleanian will tell you they are best when boiled. A crave-worthy take on the Nike Air Up mimics fresh-out-of-the-pot crawdads. These sneakers get the job done with no seasoning required, featuring a crustacean-red upper complete with water droplets and a steamy graphic.

AIR FORCE 1 LOW CMFT
As the best of the best come together in the Big Easy, the Nike Air Force 1 pays tribute in kind. Like gumbo, the latest Air Force 1 is a collage of the most memorable Nike Sportswear upper materials — such as foamposite and cork — and prints including elephant, gator, pony hair, and safari.

FLYSTEPPER 2K3
In New Orleans, alligators are king of the bayou. In remembrance of another king’s first pair of Nike’s, Nike Sportswear combines the elevated silhouette of the Flystepper and adds the signature perforated quarter panels of the Zoom 2K3. Featuring faux-alligator strap enclosures, the real tribute to the tough skin of Alligator Mississippiensis takes the form of a raised synthetic covering the toe.