nike air force 1 mid blackThe Air Force 1 is one of the most important shoes in Nike’s history and in sneaker culture per se. When it was first released in 1982 Nike didn’t have much experience with basketball shoes. Up until then, their focus was on running. The AF1 was the first basketball shoe ever to feature the new Air cushioning. It made a huge impact in the streetball scene. Players were used to sore feet but the Air sole was a game changer. From the basketball courts the Air Force 1 moved into sneaker culture – or maybe it’s better to say it created sneaker culture: When some retailers in Baltimore convinced Nike to re-release the AF1 in new colors, it practically sold out immediately and became one of the first athletic shoes to become a collector’s item. Until today, Nike has released nearly 2000 versions of its classic in different colors on low, mid and high top silhouettes.

nike air force 1 sage lowOver the years Air Force 1 has shown it is not exclusive to any type or categories of fashion. As well as being a gritty piece of streetwear clothing its high-end status continues to grow having had collaborations with a number of successful designers such as Riccardo Tisci of Givenchy. AF-1 is comfortable in any setting and having moved from the basketball court, to the street, then the catwalk- stars such as Kanye West and Robert Downey Jnr have even given the iconic shoe a run out on the red carpet as part of a smart ensemble which shows the extent of its iconic status.

nike air force 1 high womensNike Air Force 1s were sacred in my town, and still are. We Baltimoreans call them “Airs” because they’re as important to us as oxygen. My dad ran the streets in his until the fronts crinkled and the seams burst. My older brother and his friends would buy fresh pairs by the dozens with street money, in a bunch of different colors to match their Russell, Champion and Sergio Tacchini tracksuits. Clean Airs and a clean sweatsuit was the East Baltimore uniform.There hasn’t been a month this year where Virgil Abloh did not reign the sneaker world, from release to release his Nike partnership tops the hype-charts. Now we finally get our hands on the long-time teased cone-colored Nike Air Force 1 collaboration. Made from Ripstop fabric and leather overlays the low-top silhouette dons the deconstructed design with signature lettering again.

vince carter air force 1On its 1982 introduction to the court, Nike designer Bruce Kilgore’s creation, initially only available as a high top, was striking for its hiking-boot-inspired cues and uniquely chunky sole—it was the first Nike Air cushioning on a hoops shoe. The neutral white and grey palette was one of the only parts of the shoe that played it safe. Inevitably, bolder, team-color Forces would follow—as would a low-cut, making the Air Force 1 an even more popular choice when it hit retail on a wider scale in 1983.




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