A HOMAGE TO THE NIKE AIR FORCE 1
There are few shoes that have stood the test of time as well as the Nike Air Force 1. A wardrobe staple for the most casual wearer and the hypebeast alike, it’s a silhouette that redefined trainer technology, compliments practically every single fit imaginable, and continuously sells upwards of 10 million units year on year.
Premium materials, the iconic ‘AF1’ lace buckle (I’ve just found out it’s actually called a Deubré) and the inevitable toe box crease are reasons why an unboxing of a cocaine white pair of Air Forces is only matched by the unboxing of an iPhone: it’s one of those moments that fills you with immense satisfaction no matter how many times you do it.
With low, mid and high variations, there’s an Air Force 1 for everybody. For the likes of Dr Dre, who keeps multiple fresh pairs stocked in his shoe closet, to the white-turned-grey air forces which are seen in abundance at every festival worldwide, the Air Force 1 is more than a shoe: it’s a transcendent statement of identity that means something different to different sets of people.
There isn’t a shoe with as much cultural relevance as the Air Force 1. A prominent figure in the ‘alternative’ school uniform of children up and down the country, there’s a red thread of rebellion that permeates the history of the Air Force 1. Culturally speaking, it’s a shoe that captures the zeitgeist of many underground scenes and activities happening in and around some of the rougher parts of America, it’s presence is as notable as the iconic low riders we assimilate closely with the early west coast hip hop scene.
Being a bit of a sneakerhead myself, it’s a simple shoe that will always find a place on my shoe rack, regardless of how many exclusive shoes I have (I have quite a fair few, I must say). It’s why I was overjoyed to see the illusive ‘GOT ‘EM’ splash page in the early hours of a cold December morning after the release of the Off White edition of the shoe - it was only right that Virgil Abloh included such an iconic shoe as part of his ‘The Ten’ collection that has done ever so well in solidifying Virgil’s position as a trailblazer in the movement to blur the lines between high-fashion and streetwear.
Apart from this, here are others worth mentioning:
Nike x Travis Scott AF100
His first real ‘Rodeo’ into the trainer game, this Air Force 1 was cloth like, featured a removable swoosh and a shiny, embossed deubrè. For somebody who was new to the trainer game, and collabing on a shoe that holds such gravitas, Travis Scott showed no fear, adding real personalised touches to the shoe, making it a memorable and very sought after collaboration. Resale price deservedly sits at around the 4 figure mark, it was the very first testament to Travis’ intentions to really push the boundaries with Nike and really switch things up, turning them on their head - quite literally sometimes.
Triple White AF1
I have a confession. Whilst many donned the black out air force 1 in secondary school - special mentions to those by the way - I didn’t actually own a pair of air force 1s until I was 18. I was aware of how important they were as a shoe, but the fact that people would always walk strangely and talk about the shoe creasing made me think it was only logical to keep them on the shelf of the stores and not in my room. The first pair I purchased? A triple white pair that had interchangeable swooshes. Whilst I had the options of a multitude of colours on the swoosh - yellow, black and red to name a few - I rarely swayed away from keeping the simple white swoosh on, but as I got them true to size (bad idea if you don’t like creases), I still wasn’t completely sold on the hype the Air Force 1 had been and still does get. It was only when I bought a pair, another triple white set, in a size smaller than normal, I appreciated the silhouette properly. It’s why now my shoe collection cannot feel complete if there are not a box fresh pair of air forces sitting comfortably to complement the multitude of shoes I have. Did I mention I also have a pair of Off White Air Forces too?
Aimé Leon Dore AF1
This is probably the least known of Air Force 1 on the list of my top AF1s, but it definitely is the most beautiful. Never actually releasing - my heart breaks every single time - the lifestyle brand, started in 2014 by Teddy Santis, created a bespoke pair of the Air Force that is like no other. A fleece upper gives the shoe a cosy feel (think favourite vintage jumper vibes) whilst the color blocked upper sees shades of red, green, blue and yellow work in tandem poetically to create one of my favourite shoes ever. Resale price? There isn’t one. If there was, I’d trade a kidney for these because the shoe is really a sight worth seeing.
Vlone AF1
Lastly, but not least, is the iconic black and orange iteration of the Air Force 1 carried out by Vlone. The tumbled black leather, combined with orange GTA-San-Andreas type font stating ‘Every Living Creative Dies Alone’ (pretty depressing stuff, I know) are a shoe that came in extremely limited pairs, and are seen on foot once in a blue moon. Whilst the material change from the usual black air force gives it a luxurious feel, the orange accents give the shoe a gritty feel, making it a grail that feels like it could also be one of your beaters. You’d have to be pretty rich to make this shoe a beater though, with a resale price tag sitting at a few thousand pounds, just know if you see these on my feet, I have made a very financially irresponsible decision that I am not one bit ashamed of.