The LEGO Nike Air Force 1 (set 43026) was revealed this week, a brand new release in the Nike x LEGO partnership that’s making waves across the AFOL and sneakerhead communities alike. It’s the third buildable shoe in the partnership that's quietly turned into one of the more interesting licensed lines on the shelf; following the Nike Dunk (43008) released in 2025 and the Air Max 95 "Neon" (43025) dropped this spring, it’s fair to say the new LEGO AF1 has big shoes to fill. It lands on 1 September 2026 at £89.99 with 1,093 pieces.
First design impressions
The hype with this drop lands with the shoe - the AF1 is one of the most recognisable sneaker silhouettes ever made and it translates to brick surprisingly well. But the thing that caught our eye was the setting. LEGO and Nike obviously sat down and came up with a clear design brief for the partnership, and the new release continues to build on the similar striking design trends with unique new elements and attention to detail.
The shoe
As we’ve come to expect, the design of the LEGO Air Force 1 itself is a faithful recreation of the real deal - or at least as much as you could expect given it’s made out of bricks.
All of the features you’d hope to see are present on the shoe; iconic Nike Swoosh, midsole ‘AIR’ lettering and graphic, logo on the back heel, perforations on the toebox, graphics on the tongue and even the LEGO and Nike logos on the insole of the shoe.
Elevation & the base
A common thread running through this partnership is elevation, and the LEGO x Nike Air Force 1 design is no different. At a first glance this set looks more similar to the Air Max 95 than the Dunk, with the shoe proudly upraised above the rest of the set, but the execution is very different - and arguably better.
Where the AM95 used a simple rotating base to give the shoe its height, the AF1 sits on a colourful and impressive stand resembling a rocket blast, paying direct homage to its namesake. Of course, we know the Air Max’s rotating base is a functional element used to open the hidden drawer, but purely from a design perspective, we think the Air Force 1 takes it to the next level.
Angles, structure & colour
What can’t be understated is the attention to detail with angles and colours to create visible cohesion that’s pleasing to the eye, whilst also honouring the silhouette it displays.
Unlike the Air Max which purposefully used soft curves and a bubble aesthetic to lean into the visible air unit and cushioning technology, the LEGO Air Force 1 enjoys an angled look and straight lines throughout the design. This helps contribute to its sleek, futuristic look and feel.
What makes the set look as good as it does, and what we love the most, is the detail that most people won’t even consciously realise is there. The angles, colours and overall structure have been very deliberately chosen to ‘walk’ you through the design.
When you first look at the set, your eye is naturally drawn to the most colourful part of the set; the rocket blast stand. That leads your eyes to move up the blast to appreciate the hallmark of the design - the shoe itself, featured in the legendary white that we all know and love - standing out in minimalist contrast. After this you’ll see either the astronaut dunking into the hoop or bold blue ‘A’ from the AF1 plaque, but either way the roughly parallel angle to the blast and sole of the shoe is a lovely touch we can’t ignore.
Of course, this all happens in less than a few seconds, but it creates a more pleasing and satisfying sensation in your brain when you look at it. At least that’s how we feel, for lack of a more technical explanation!
Nike Air Force 1 x LEGO set (43026): the key details
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Set number | 43026 |
| Set name | Nike Air Force 1 x LEGO Set |
| Pieces | 1,093 |
| UK price | £89.99 |
| International pricing | $99.99 USD / €99.99 / $139.99 CAD / $149.99 AUD |
| Release date | 1 September 2026 |
| Age rating | 12+ |
| Built dimensions | Over 26cm high x 35cm wide x 10cm deep |
| Minifigures | 1 |
| Available from | LEGO.com, LEGO Stores and Nike.com |
Piece count, UK RRP and dimensions confirmed at announcement, August 2026.
Worth noting on price: £89.99 for 1,093 pieces holds the line the Nike x LEGO shoes have kept since the Dunk, which is a fair place for a licensed set of this size to sit. It's not a bargain, but it's not the premium the licence might have justified either.
What's in the box
The build is the classic white AF1 colourway, which is the right call. Nike has released the Air Force 1 in a genuinely absurd number of makeups since the silhouette first launched in 1982, but the plain white pair is the one everyone pictures, and it's the one that reads clearly in brick.
Alongside the shoe you get a brick-built AF1 logo element and, more usefully, two versions of the Swoosh in silver and orange. Silver is the restrained option that keeps the whole thing minimalistic and chic. Orange gives you a focal point and picks up the space theme. You can swap between them whenever the mood takes you, which is more than many licensed sets offer.
We haven't had hands on the set yet, so we're not going to pretend to know how the build feels. What we can say from the images is that a 1,093-piece shoe at this scale is going to involve a lot of careful panel work around the midsole and the toe box, and LEGO has form for making that section of a build either very satisfying or slightly fiddly.
The astronaut and the rocket blast stand
The set comes with one minifigure, and it's a nice one. It's a Nike-branded riff on the Classic Space spaceman, complete with dual-moulded shoes printed to match the set, an interchangeable head and a basketball carrying the LEGO Nike logo.
All of the LEGO x Nike shoe sets so far have had a unique and interactive feature to bring another level; for the LEGO Air Force 1, a dial mechanism in the base spins the figure through a 360 dunk.
It might sound a bit silly, but with the astronauts’ slightly translucent colourful base plates and floating pose, we think this brings an almost inspiring and otherworldly feel to the design - a nice addition for adults, but a design element that kids will LOVE. Great job LEGO!
If you've been collecting for a while, the Classic Space reference will land immediately. If you've come to this from the sneaker side, the short version is that the white spaceman is one of LEGO's most nostalgically loaded designs, so seeing it in Nike branding is a genuinely fun crossover rather than a filler minifigure.
The shoe itself can be removed from the display stand, so you're not locked into the full lunar diorama if you'd rather handle the AF1 on its own.
How to display the LEGO Air Force 1 (43026)
This is where the set gets interesting, and where the specs matter more than they first appear.
The footprint is a little awkward. At 35cm wide and only 10cm deep, this is a long, shallow, front-facing model. That's great for a mantelpiece or a shelf you view straight on. It's a problem for cube storage, which is where a lot of LEGO collections end up. Some of the most widely used standard storage cubes will give you roughly 30-35cm of internal width, so measure before you assume it'll slot in. It very likely won't.
It might be less stable than it looks. Elevating a (relatively chunky looking) shoe on a rocket blast plume means the mass sits high and the contact point with the shelf is comparatively small. Any set built like that is more vulnerable to a knock, a cat or an enthusiastic bit of dusting than one that sits flat and low to the base.
The base is going to collect dust. Textured, multi-level surfaces are the worst offenders, and a moon plinth with an exhaust plume is about as textured and multi-level as it gets. Getting a brush into the gaps around the blast without shifting bricks will be a genuine irritation. Our guide on how to keep your LEGO sets dust-free covers the general approach, but the honest answer for a set shaped like this one is that prevention beats cleaning every time.
A few things that'll make the difference:
- Case it early. An acrylic case made specifically for this set solves the dust and the knock risk in one go, and it means you never have to work a brush into that plume.
- Think about the back panel. A lunar set against a black or printed backdrop looks considerably better than the same set against a magnolia wall. A mirrored panel is the other option if you want to show off the reverse of the build.
- Light it from the side. The AF1's appeal is its silhouette, and side lighting picks out the shape of the midsole and the Swoosh far better than a flat front light. Our LEGO display lighting guide goes into the practicalities.
- Pick your Swoosh for the setting. Orange pops under warm lighting and against a dark backdrop. Silver works better in a brighter room or a mixed display where you don't want the shoe fighting for attention.
Should you buy two?
It's a fair question for this one, and more people will be asking it than usual. Unfortunately, it’s a bit of a sensitive topic that’s flared up since the Nike x LEGO collaborative sets started releasing - many in the LEGO community aren’t a fan of the scalper culture that’s leaking over from the world of sneakers.
Buying two is standard practice in sneaker culture, where a pair to wear and a pair kept deadstock is completely normal behaviour. That instinct has been bleeding into LEGO collecting for years now, particularly on licensed sets with a hard retirement date and a crossover audience. A Nike collaboration sits right in the middle of that Venn diagram.
Our take: it depends entirely on why you're buying. If you want it because you like it, buy one, build it and display it properly. That's the version of this hobby that stays fun. If you're buying with half an eye on what it might be worth in three years, be honest that you're speculating rather than collecting, because nobody can tell you now how the LEGO Air Force 1 (43026) will hold its value, and anyone who says otherwise is guessing.
What we would say is that a sealed set is only an asset if it's stored properly. Boxes crush, corners soften and sunlight fades printing faster than people expect. If you're keeping one back, our guide on how to protect retiring LEGO sets is worth five minutes.
FAQ
When does the LEGO Nike Air Force 1 come out?
The Nike Air Force 1 x LEGO set (43026) is released on 1 September 2026.
How much is the LEGO Air Force 1 in the UK?
It's priced at £89.99 in the UK, which works out at $99.99 in the US, €99.99 across the eurozone, $139.99 in Canada and $149.99 in Australia.
How many pieces is the Nike Air Force 1 x LEGO set 43026?
The LEGO Air Force 1 set features 1,093 pieces.
How big is the LEGO Air Force 1 when built?
The finished model measures over 26cm high, 35cm wide and 10cm deep, including the rocket blast stand and lunar base. That's wider than some standard storage cubes, so plan the shelf before it arrives.
Does the LEGO Air Force 1 come with a minifigure?
Yes. The set includes one Nike-branded Classic Space astronaut with dual-moulded printed shoes, an interchangeable head and a LEGO Nike basketball.
Where can you buy the LEGO Nike Air Force 1?
LEGO.com, LEGO Stores, Nike.com and select Nike flagship retail locations from 1 September 2026.
Is there a display case for Nike Air Force 1 x LEGO 43026?
Yes, we have a LEGO Air Force 1 display case sized to fit the set, helping to preserve and protect it from dust, dirt and knocks.
What was the first Nike x LEGO set?
The Nike Dunk x LEGO set (43008) was released in 2025, followed by the Air Max 95 "Neon" (43025) in March 2026.
Protect it from day one
A set like this earns its shelf space, and the quickest way to lose that is a fortnight of dust settling into the moon base. Every BOXXCO case is made in the UK from 100% recycled and recyclable crystal-clear acrylic, with UV protection and metal-reinforced corners, cut to fit the set rather than approximately around it.
