The Manchester Worker Bee has been an emblem for the city since the Industrial Revolution and a symbol of Manchester’s hard work, resilience and unity.
And now, size?, sportswear giants Nike and We Love MCR Charity are collaborating to launch an exclusive new rendition of the classic Air Force 1, inspired by the symbol.
The Manchester Air Force 1 design has a premium leather and suede upper, featuring a neutral colour palette of tan and brown tones, with a sail midsole and a grey outsole.
In a nod to the bee and the city of Manchester, the tongue is decorated with a honeycomb-like mesh and sits alongside an embroidery of the ‘0161’ area code.
The iconic silhouette is finished off with the ‘Worker Bee’ motif on the lateral, celebrating everyone proud to call themselves Mancunian.
size?, which is is owned by JD Sports (based in Bury), are donating 10% of sales to the We Love MCR Charity and their ‘Manchester’s Rising Stars’ Fund.
This fund helps ambitious young Mancunians from disadvantaged backgrounds to take their next steps to success in work, qualifications and entrepreneurship.
“This fantastic initiative unites Manchester’s iconic Worker Bee with a world-class product,” said Councillor Tommy Judge, Lord Mayor of Manchester and Chair of We Love MCR Charity.
“It is our greatest brand collaboration so far, by far!
“The funds we raise from every pair bought means we can support young Mancunians from disadvantaged backgrounds to fulfil their potential.
“Our Manchester’s Rising Stars Fund awards grants to ambitious young people, to help them take their next steps to success in work, qualifications or entrepreneurship.
“With this help from size? and Nike, we can give a leg-up to even more talented young people looking to succeed in Manchester.”
Limited to just 3,000 pairs, the Nike Air Force 1 Manchester – size? exclusive will be open for a raffle entry to reserve a pair on the size? launches app from 8am on Sunday 15th November, priced at £130.
The raffle closes at 8am Thursday 19th November. Raffle winners will then be able to purchase a pair of these limited-edition trainers.
To find out more about We Love MCR Charity’s ‘Rising Stars’ Fund, and how your purchase can make a difference head over to welovemcrcharity.org.