Summary:
- Foot Locker releases Nike Air Max TN Manchester on February 5 with bee and honeycomb design elements
- The sneaker features black colorway with beige and brown details, priced at €199.99 for adults
- Phil Foden appears in the campaign as the face of the Manchester-inspired release
Foot Locker has added Manchester to its European city-specific Nike Air Max TN collection. The sneaker arrives February 5 across Foot Locker stores in Europe and online.
The design uses Manchester's bee symbol as its central theme. A honeycomb pattern runs across the upper, sole, and heel. An embroidered bee sits inside the tongue. The label carries "0161," Manchester's area code, which has become a cultural reference point for residents.
The colorway combines black as the base with beige, chalk, and brown accents. The bee symbol represents resilience and community in Manchester. These design choices connect to the city's identity rather than serving as decoration.
Manchester joins Saint-Denis, Berlin, Marseille, Lisbon, and Brixton in Foot Locker's series of European city releases. Each drop targets local cultural markers. The company plans more TN releases through 2026.
Phil Foden fronts the campaign. The Manchester City player represents Nike and grew up in the city. His involvement ties the product to local football culture, which runs deep in Manchester's social fabric.
Foot Locker hosted a launch event on February 4 at Renae, a listening bar in Manchester. The event brought together local figures from the city's music and style scenes. The store at Manchester Arndale set up an Air Max TN Experience space, open to the public from February 4. The first 50 FLX members got early access to buy the shoes in store.
Slavka Jancikova, VP Marketing EMEA at Foot Locker, spoke about the release. She called Manchester one of the most culturally relevant cities in the UK. The company positioned the TN Manchester as a celebration of what makes the city distinct.
The retail price sits at €199.99 for adults. A kids version retails at €144.99. Both sizes launch simultaneously on February 5.
The TN silhouette has strong ties to UK street culture. Its popularity in cities like Manchester makes it a fitting canvas for location-specific releases. The shoe's history in football terraces and music scenes gives it cultural weight beyond performance features.
Foot Locker operates around 2,500 stores across 26 countries. The company focuses on sneaker culture through its retail network, which includes Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Champs Sports, WSS, and atmos. The European city series represents part of its strategy to create exclusive products tied to specific markets.
The Manchester release marks the first TN drop of 2026 for Foot Locker. More city-focused editions will follow throughout the year. Each release follows a similar pattern of local cultural references translated into design details.
The honeycomb pattern and bee imagery appear throughout the shoe rather than as single accent points. This creates visual consistency across different parts of the sneaker. The 0161 embroidery adds another layer of local reference for people familiar with Manchester's cultural codes.
Pre-launch access for FLX members creates a tier system for purchasing. This approach rewards program participants while building anticipation for the wider release. The Manchester Arndale experience space extends the launch beyond a standard product drop.
The TN Manchester fits into Foot Locker's broader approach of linking products to place. Geography becomes part of the product story rather than background context. This strategy tries to build connection between sneakers and the cities they reference.
Staff
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