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Meet the 19-Year-Old Belgian Activist Taking a Global Outlook on the Climate Crisis

Anuna de Wever, who appears alongside Greta Thunberg in the new documentary “I Am Greta,” on where she hopes the movement is heading next….

In the opening scenes of I Am Greta, the new documentary on Greta Thunberg and the school strike movement, we see her as she was back in the summer of 2018. Sitting on a Stockholm street corner outside Stockholm’s Parliament House, Thunberg holds her now world-famous “skolstrejk för klimatet” sign as passers-by glance down at her with disinterest. It’s an image that was, over the following months, slowly beamed around the world—eventually inspiring millions upon millions of young people to join the “school strike for climate” movement, with the protests throughout 2019 taking place across 150 countries.

Yet as the documentary makes clear, Thunberg was far from alone in igniting the movement’s still-roaring flame. In December 2018, the day after Belgium neglected to sign a new declaration on addressing climate change at the COP24 summit in Katowice, Poland, then 17-year-old Belgian student Anuna de Wever was searching for organizing strategies when they came across Thunberg’s approach. De Wever began drumming up local interest online before staging their first protest in the same mold two weeks later on the streets of Brussels. That protest became one of the first international branches of the school strike movement that would go on to sweep the globe.

“First there were 3,000 people, then 15,000, then 35,000 and Brussels became this international thing with journalists from all over Europe coming to interview us and understand how it happened,” de Wever remembers, noting that this rapid growth and widespread amplification of the movement and its message was very much their plan of action from the beginning. “I was really inspired by what Greta did, so I decided to scale it up and get as many people as possible involved. For me, that was the most obvious solution—to build a lot of pressure very quickly.”

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Like Thunberg, de Wever’s ability to articulate the sweeping crises imposed by climate change in a way that is both impassioned and informed speaks of a perceptiveness far beyond their years. (Now 19, de Wever identifies as gender nonbinary.) For de Wever, too, the cult of personality that has been formed around them comes with challenges similar to that of Thunberg, as vividly explored in I Am Greta. Within their native Belgium, de Wever is very much the movement’s figurehead. Internationally, meanwhile, the press regularly mentions them in the same breath as Thunberg, along with Adélaïde Charlier and Luisa Neubauer, considered their counterparts in France and Germany respectively.

Not all of the attention, of course, is positive. How does de Wever deal with the online abuse that is inevitably slung their way? “It can be hard,” de Wever says. “I’ve had a lot of conversations with Greta about how to deal with this. I’ve gotten a lot of death threats and a lot of people said they would come and rape me or beat me up.” One particularly challenging moment came last year when de Wever was invited to speak at Belgium’s annual Pukkelpop music festival. While giving a speech alongside fellow climate activist Nic Balthazar, de Wever was aggressively heckled by a far-right group who had specifically targeted their event; later, they were harassed and physically attacked in the festival’s campsite.

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Nike Zoom Hyperflight “Safari” Official Images Reveal Bold Print Ahead of Holiday Release

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The Nike Zoom Hyperflight is getting a bold new look, with the “Safari” colorway coming soon. We have official photos of the unique design for a closer look. The sneaker sports bright orange accents and a translucent outsold, and is expected to arrive during the holiday season at a retail price of $190.

The new version is inspired by the Safari print that is familiar from the Air Safari. That pattern covers most of the Hyperflight’s soft, molded upper, giving the basketball shoe a unique look compared with some of the model’s other recent colorways. Together, the unusual texture and pattern make the silhouette feel especially suited to the adventurous design.

The primary contrast across the shoe is orange, used in the trim and other details. The bright color pops against the speckled base without being overwhelming. Black is also present in the design, on the glossy support structure around the midfoot and the soft leather collar. The look is topped off with a see-through outsole that adds another visual element to the overall color scheme.

The sneaker will drop with style code IZ2573-010 and is expected in men’s sizing. With a retail price tag of $190, Nike, Foot Locker, and Sheikh are among the expected retailers. As for when you can expect it, it’s likely to be the holiday season, though we don’t have a solid release date.

The “Safari” colorway comes amid a busy period for the Zoom Hyperflight. This year, Nike has revived the model in several colors, bringing a new wave of attention to the silhouette through a series of releases. Another forthcoming option is the vibrant “Green Apple” pair, also scheduled for a holiday season release.

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The Hyperflight’s history also provides context for the latest return. Jason Williams wore the model in the early 2000s, linking it to a memorable era for the sneaker. That association also helps explain why new colorways can generate excitement beyond the shoe’s look, especially for those who remember it from its previous run.

The Safari design is a definitive statement that does not change the characteristic shape of the Hyperflight. Instead, it uses the familiar silhouette as a canvas for a pattern that has already become recognizable through another Nike model. The orange accents provide a bright contrast, while the black midfoot structure and collar balance it out.

Now that official images have surfaced, sneaker fans have a clearer idea of what to expect from the holiday release. The $190 price, style code, and expected retail partners have also been identified, but a specific launch date has not been confirmed.

For Nike, the “Safari” is another way to bring attention back to the Zoom Hyperflight. One of its more distinctive new looks is this returning model, featuring speckled print, orange trim, black support details, and an icy-looking translucent outsole.

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Lil Yachty Previews Another Nike Air Force 1 Mid, This Time With Blue and Orange Stitching

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Lil Yachty has added another eye-catching design to his ever-growing collection of Nike US Force 1 Mids, this time going for a cleaner white look accented by blue and orange stitching. The rapper’s latest take on the shoe keeps the familiar silhouette. Still, it uses contrasting details to give the shoe its own identity, something the artist is known for, showing off a steady run of variations on the silhouette.

 

Dubbed the “White Contrast Stitch,” the pair features white leather across most of the upper. Rather than altering the classic Air Force 1 Mid profile or incorporating a strange material, the design uses stitching to separate the design visually. Blue stitching embellishes the leather panels, and each side of the shoe’s Swoosh is lined with orange.

 

The combo adds a subtle but noticeable splash of color to the mostly white sneaker. It’s a more muted take than some of the more adventurous pairs Yachty has shown recently, so this version feels like the more no-nonsense option in his growing collection.

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The new design adds to the long list of Air Force 1 Mid looks associated with the rapper this year. Earlier previews have featured a stars-and-stripes pair, an orange version with black stars, and a yellow colorway tied to ComplexCon. Each has put a different spin on the familiar silhouette, helping make Yachty’s run of designs a continuing talking point among sneaker watchers.

 

Earlier this year, another pair of the shoes, this time with blue and red detailing and thick white stitching, was also teased. That version is expected to launch around the holidays, but the details provided don’t confirm whether it will launch alongside the recently unveiled white one.

 

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Some questions remain unanswered about the “White Contrast Stitch” design. Nike has not confirmed any price, style code, or even whether the sneaker will be released to the public. The design has drawn attention through its online appearance and Yachty’s preview, but neither sets a launch date nor guarantees consumers can buy it.

 

That anticipation makes the latest reveal more of a first look than a proper release announcement. The white leather upper and blue-and-orange stitching are on display, but key retail details remain unknown. For now, there is no confirmed timeline for when the pair might hit stores, or if it will be offered beyond the preview.

 

Still, the design adds another variation to a collection that has featured a wide variety of colors and details. The white base makes this one more subtle, while the contrast stitching keeps it from being a straight-up all-white release.

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Yachty’s latest preview continues his ongoing relationship with the silhouette, with several other Air Force 1 Mid designs already shown this year. It’s not clear if the “White Contrast Stitch” pair will ever make it to the light of day, but it’s definitely added another distinct look to his growing collection.

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