Melitta Baumeister Turns the Nike Rift Into a Bizarre Sculpture, Hides a Pair of Eyes in the Chunky Rocker Heel

That pair of eyes staring back at you from the heel is probably the least sneaker-like thing about this shoe. Melitta Baumeister officially unveiled her latest Nike collaboration, the Rift Rocker, at Seoul Art Week — marking her third time layering her signature warped, formless design language onto a Nike silhouette, following the Nike Vomero Premium and Nike Pegasus Premium. This time, her target is the classic split-toe Nike Air Rift.

The weight of the shoe is all concentrated in the sole. An oversized, chunky rocker sole stretches the Rift's originally light split-toe profile into something exaggerated, with a recessed Nike Swoosh pressed into the bottom. The upper gets a cracked treatment, swapping out the split-toe classic's clean surface for a rough, gritty texture.

The details still carry Baumeister's signature playfulness: a pair of eyes stares straight out from the back of the heel, the velcro strap is printed with the Melitta Baumeister branding, and both the heel strap and midsole are embroidered with a handwritten-style Nike wordmark.

This debut is backed by the NIKELAB SEOUL special exhibition, running September 5-6 in Seoul's Jongno-gu district, where the public can get an up-close look at this concept-heavy new release. As of publication, Nike has yet to announce an official release date for the Rift Rocker.