The FBI is trying to identify a Washington riot suspect thanks to his sneakers

It's been a little over a week since the assault on the American Congress by pro-Trump protesters who set the city of Washington on fire. While many of them have already been arrested, for others the FBI continues the search and the identification process, made not easy by the presence of masks - still a rarity among the protesters - and hoods and caps that hid the face.

American authorities have turned to the population for help in an attempt to identify a suspect - presumably a man - connected to the discovery of pipe bombs found in the headquarters of the national committees of the Democratic and Republican Parties on the same day of the attack on Capitol Hill. The images show a man, with his face hidden by the mask and hood, dressed in dark jeans and a grey hoodie. There are only two elements that could somehow facilitate his identification: the backpack he carries and the sneakers he wears. The FBI then posted the man's picture on Twitter, asking users to help identify him. It wasn't long before sneakerheads and sneaker enthusiasts recognized the silhouette in question.

The #FBI released new photos of the individual(s) responsible for placing suspected pipe bombs in Washington, D.C., on January 6. If you recognize this backpack or these shoes, submit a tip at https://t.co/buMd8vYXzH. A $50,000 reward is available. @FBIWFO https://t.co/Quaky7ud2X pic.twitter.com/ivJJwoWERr
— FBI (@FBI) January 12, 2021

It is, in fact, a Nike Air Max Speed Turf, a silhouette created by the Beaverton giant in the mid90s. The sneaker also made an appearance in the Fresh Prince of Bel Air series, where Will Smith's character wears a Black and White version with neon details in one of the most memorable scenes of the sixth season, on the occasion of the dance competition with Carlton in Las Vegas.

Nike relaunched the sneaker in 2012, while in 2018 new versions of the silhouette were released, including a colourway that could be the one worn by the suspect.

It is therefore not one of Nike's most famous and best-selling sneakers, and despite being present on websites like StockX and eBay, the prices are clearly below average and the sales are not very frequent. These elements could therefore help the FBI investigations, which besides the sneaker don't have much to hold on to find the suspect.