NIKE AIR FORCE 1: A TIMELESS CLASSIC


The Nike Air Force 1 is undoubtedly the most iconic Nike silhouette. This model is one of the first to use insoles with the Nike AIR cushioning system, still new and revolutionary at the time of its release. It was also the first basketball shoe with this technology.Created by Bruce Kilgore in 1982, this pair is a clever mix of sobriety and technicality. With its immaculate white design, contrasted by an swoosh and a grey strap for the mid and high versions, its outsole is dressed in light grey tones. Legend has it that his style was inspired by the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral. His name, for its part, is a direct reference to the American presidential plane. Air Force 1 has a special history that makes it one of the most iconic models in the world. Nike unveiled the model and democratized it in the 1980s by associating it with the greatest basketball players of the time.

But after only two years on the market and immediate success, the American equipment manufacturer decided to withdraw the famous pair from the market! This has the effect of creating a real wave of demand. Young people in desperate neighborhoods are struggling to revive their old pairs... So shoe store managers, seeing the strong demand, start to put pressure on the American equipment manufacturer to bring out copies of the much-popular model. The swoosh brand finally accepted on condition that the orders were large. The pairs would flow at an incredible speed, creating a unique connection between Air Force 1 and street kids.

 

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 will completely explode.

It was the street culture and the explosion of rap in the 90s that completely propelled the pair to the rank of classics. She finds herself at the feet of the most influential rappers such as Jay-Z, Kanye West or even Damon Dash who are going crazy about it. For the anecdote the rapper Nelly fell in love with the model and to testify of his love, he dedicates a song in homage to the model entitled "Air Force Ones". Likewise the rapper T.I. from Atlanta comes up with a sound called " My Air Forces". In the report by Thibaut de Longeville recently published on the application Nike SNKRS, T.I will even go so far as to say "he wouldn't wear another model for anything in the world".

In the years that followed, the model even crossed the Atlantic and established itself in Europe, with the following capitals in particular London and its new rappers that will help spread the model and its values across the continent. Today it is used on many occasions, as recently with the Off-White Black the Air Force 1 continues to write its history and confirms its iconic status!


ICONIC COLLABORATIONS: OFF-WHITE, TRAVIS SCOTT, CLOT, PEACEMINUSONE.

As always. Nike values history, and the universe of its peers. Thus, the American firm gives the opportunity to artists, sportsmen and women, designers to rethink models. Each collaboration is a real atmosphere, the art of the creator is sublimated. Over the years, we have seen some remarkable collaborations. As part of its collection The Ten, Virgil Abloh the current Artistic Director of Louis Vuitton's men's collections, has established his label on 10 models emblematic of the brand. Nike. Among them, the Nike Air Force 1 Off-White. Playing with innovative materials as with a transparent fabric, Virgil Abloh brings a destructured dimension with a swoosh and its zig zag stitching. Available in 3 colours, White, Black and Voltthis sneaker is a must-have for sneaker fans. The most influential rapper on the planet, Travis Scott has also been able to revisit Nike Air Force 1 three times. After working on two AF1s in canva Whiteand Sail at swoosh interchangeable, the Flame offered us a magnificent Nike AF1 Fossil. Playing on material inserts and patterns reminiscent of his universe, this sneaker has thrilled basketball fans with its box and all its details. A pair that once again ran out of stock very quickly. We can also mention the Hong Kong label of Edison Chen, Clot who offered us 4 colorways of his Nike Air Force 1 Clot with the white, the blue, the black and recently the pink. With a satin vamp, embroidered with the brand's motif, this sneakers consists of a print applied directly to the pair that is 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 Peaceminusone in collaboration with the singer G-DRAGON. The singer of K-pop revisits the classic in its own way with a floral print hidden under a black colorway, an original and surprising edition that has made a name for itself. Nike continues to dazzle us with its collaborations and has succeeded in establishing the Nike Air Force 1 as the timeless classic model.