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Nike Air Force 1
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NIKE AIR FORCE 1, A TIMELESS CLASSIC
The Nike Air Force 1 is without a doubt the most iconic silhouette from Nike. This model was one of the first to use soles featuring the Nike AIR cushioning system, which was brand new and revolutionary at the time of its release. It was also the first basketball sneaker to be equipped with this technology. Created by Bruce Kilgore in 1982, this pair is a clever blend of simplicity and technical innovation. With its immaculate white design, contrasted by a swoosh and a grey strap for the mid and high versions, its outsole comes in light grey tones. Legend has it that its style was inspired by the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. Its name, meanwhile, is a direct reference to the American presidential airplane. The Air Force 1 has a unique history that makes it one of the most iconic models in sneakers. Nike unveiled the model and popularized it in the 80s by associating it with the greatest basketball players of the era.
But after only two years on the market and immediate success, the American sportswear brand decided to pull the famous pair from the shelves! This created a true wave of demand. Young people from the neighborhoods, desperate, tried with difficulty to bring their old pairs back to life... As a result, sneaker store managers, seeing the strong demand, began to pressure the American brand to re-release the highly sought-after model. The brand with the swoosh eventually agreed, on the condition that orders be substantial. The pairs sold out at an incredible rate, creating a unique connection between the Air Force 1 and the youth of the streets.
A SNEAKER INFLUENCED BY STREETWEAR AND HIP-HOP
With the rise of street and hip-hop culture in the 1990s and 2000s, the popularity of this pair completely exploded.
It was indeed street culture and the explosion of rap in the 90s that truly propelled the pair to classic status. It was seen on the feet of the most influential rappers such as Jay-Z, Kanye West, creator of the essential label Yeezy and Damon Dash who all became obsessed with them. Fun fact: rapper Nelly fell in love with the model and, to show his love, dedicated a song to the sneaker entitled “Air Force Ones”. Similarly, T.I, an Atlanta rapper, released a track called “My Air Forces ». In the report by Thibaut de Longeville recently published on the Nike SNKRS app, T.I will even go so far as to say "that he would never wear any other model in the world."
The model would even, in the following years, cross the Atlantic and establish itself in Europe, with London as its capital and its new rappers who would help spread the model and its values across the continent. Now released on many occasions, such as recently with the Off-White Black version, the Air Force 1 continues to write its story and confirms its status as an icon!
ICONIC AIR FORCE ONE COLLABORATIONS: OFF-WHITE, TRAVIS SCOTT, CLOT, PEACEMINUSONE
Nike Air Force 1 Low
As always, Nike places great importance on the history and universe of its sneakers. Released at $62.95 in 1983, a year after the launch of the High, it quickly became an emblematic product of Hip-Hop culture. Nicknamed the "Uptown" in the streets of New York, it quickly became an icon of the city's working-class neighborhoods thanks to its accessibility. In 1984, two years after its release, Nike was planning to discontinue the AF1, but thanks to the enthusiastic fans in Baltimore and the "Color of the Month Club," a group of local retailers, the AF1 survived. Thus, the American company gave artists, athletes, and designers who grew up with the silhouette the opportunity to rethink the models. Each collaboration is a real vibe, the creator's art is elevated. Over the years, iconic collaborations have come to life. As part of his collection The Ten, the late Virgil Abloh, artistic director of the Men's collections at Louis Vuitton, put his stamp on 10 iconic the Swoosh brand models to create the Nike Off White line. Among them, the Nike Air Force 1 Off-White. Playing with innovative materials such as transparent fabric, Virgil Abloh brings a deconstructed dimension with a swoosh and zig-zag stitching. Released in 3 colors, White, Black and Volt, this sneaker is a must-have highly sought after by fans of sneakers. The The most influential rapper on the planet, Travis Scott has also had the opportunity to reinterpret the Nike Air Force 1 three times. After working on two AF1s in canvas White and Sail with an interchangeable swoosh, the Flame offered us a stunning Nike AF1 Fossil . Playing with material overlays and patterns reminiscent of its universe, this sneaker thrilled basketball enthusiasts with its box packed full of signature details. Once again, this pair sold out extremely quickly, just like all those from the Nike Travis Scott collection. We can also mention the Hong Kong label from Edison Chen, Clot, who offered us 4 colorways of his Nike Air Force 1 Clot in white, blue, black, and recently rose. Sporting a satin upper embroidered with the brand’s motif, this sneakers features a print applied directly onto the pair, revealed once the fabric is removed. Extremely limited, this collaboration marked the year 2019. Finally, we can also talk about the Nike Air Force 1 Peacemisunone in collaboration with the Korean artist G-DRAGON. The K-pop singer reimagines the classic in his own way with a hidden floral print under the uppers of the Black and White colorways. This original and surprising edition managed to create a lot of buzz and converted many people to Korean fashion. Nike continues to dazzle us with its collaborations and has succeeded in establishing the Nike Air Force One as the timeless classic model.
Nike Air Force 1 Mid
It was not until 1994 that Nike introduced a new iteration, the Air Force One Mid. In terms of design, it is considered a hybrid model and sits between the High and the Low with its mid-cut collar that covers the lower ankle. It was unveiled during the Nike "City Attack" ad campaign, which highlighted different branches of urban culture, notably embodied by Bobbito Garcia, DJ and streetball player who recently collaborated on an NFT sneaker. The entire campaign, nicknamed NYC, focused on the various activities found in the many neighborhoods of New York. The slogan was accompanied by a slew of new features from the Beaverton brand, such as the Jewel Swoosh, the Dunk Low "Flip The Old School," and the Nike Air Force 1 Mid Jewel, which would introduce the NYC Logo. This last one would even be reissued in 2021. A true television success, its influence would even cross the Atlantic and win over the European public in 1994 thanks to Foot Locker, which set up shop in Paris and London. It is thanks to the Air Force One Mid that Europe becomes acquainted with the silhouette more than ten years after its creation. The sneakers are so popular that in 1997, an "Independence Day" edition is released. Inspired by the "4th of July," the American national holiday celebrating the independence of the United States, it will be reissued in 2022 alongside the Air Force 1 Mid "Ale Brown". The American sportswear brand has notably called upon various designers to collaborate on its Mid model. The most iconic is undoubtedly Riccardo Tisci, former artistic director of Givenchy and current creative director of Burberry. In 2014, he brings us his "Nike + RT" collection. " which reimagined 4 versions of the Air Force One from a luxury perspective for men and women.
Nike Air Force 1 High
This is the first model to have been unveiled in 1982 and was sold at $80. Its name is inspired by the famous plane used by the President of the United States and echoes the AIR technology hidden under the insole, which provided better cushioning for basketball players. This air bubble was a true innovation for its time. It made an impression thanks to Nike’s desire to make people believe that with this model, sneaker enthusiasts would be able to make spectacular jumps. To promote the sneakers, the Swoosh brand called on six NBA players for the campaign around the Air Force One: Moses Malone, Michael Cooper, Jamaal Wilkes, Bobby Jones, Mychal Thompson, and Calvin Natt. Initially, Nike only wanted to market the model for two years and move on, but the shoe was so successful that three store managers from Baltimore begged the brand to supply them with AF1 given the cultural impact and the demand from aficionados. That’s when the Beaverton company imposed a minimum of 1,200 pairs sold for the three stores: Downtown Locker Room, Cinderella Shoes, and Charley Rudo’s Sports. The men’s and women’s shoes sold like hotcakes, and AF1 fans from all over the United States traveled to Baltimore to get the sneakers from the Color of the Month pack. The three managers of these iconic shops were even nicknamed the "Three Amigos".
Today, it’s through the vision of Matthew Williams, Artistic Director at Givenchy, that the model is experiencing a revival. His label Alyx Studio collaborated with Nike to bring us four Air Force One High crafted in premium full-grain leather, including the Red and the Black. To celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2022, the retro silhouette is updated with the Air Force One High Sculpt, which reprises the OG codes of the shoe but without its iconic ankle strap. It is available in the White Silver and Gym Red colorways.
Nike Air Force 1 Flyknit
In 2012, Nike launched the Flyknit technology, a material made of strong and lightweight threads that are woven onto an upper, providing good support for the athlete’s foot on the shoe’s platform. It uses ultra-durable fibers to create lightweight structures offering zones of support, elasticity, and breathability just like the Nike Flyknit Racer. It wasn't until 2015 and the legendary Kobe Bryant that we saw the first Nike Air Force 1 Flyknit model worn by the iconic Los Angeles Lakers player in his legendary Triple White colorway. during a trip to China. This was followed by unprecedented hype around Bruce Kilgore's reimagined design. Released in 2016, it was offered in several iconic the Swoosh brand colorways such as the Multi-Color, Bred, and Oreo. It was sold at a price of $110 for the Low versions and $175 for the High versions.
A sneaker appreciated just as much by women as by men.
Although the essence of the model comes from famous male icons in sports or music, the shoe was quickly adopted by women and the Nike teams understood this well. The Triple White model is now a staple in many women’s wardrobes and has proven to be a unisex sneaker. To meet the strong demand from female sneaker fans, the Swoosh brand has offered a multitude of reimagined versions of the iconic model with lines specially created for women, such as the Air Force 1 Shadow collection and the Air Force 1 Pixel collection. Feminine and colorful, these special models give a trendy look to the retro silhouette. From pastel colorways to decorative jewels, everything is designed to meet the expectations of female sneakerheads!
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