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Nike Air Force 1
Nike Air Force 1
The Air Force 1 was designed by Bruce Kilgore and released in 1982. It was named after the plane that carries the U.S. President: Air Force One. The shoe became popular in Harlem, New York and earned the nickname “Uptowns” because of its popularity there. Nike has made over 1,700 color variations of the shoe since it was first created and continues to make it popular today, with annual revenue estimated at $800 million. Want to know more about this legendary model? Read more down below!
Inspired by the Notre Dame
The Air unit made the midsole higher than ever before, so Kilgore needed to figure out how to make it stable. He turned to an unlikely inspiration, the cathedral at Notre Dame, and angled the midsole out to have a large enough contact patch with the court. Did you already know this little Easter egg about this model?
Nike created them, but the people made them
Nike was never interested in reissuing the Air Force 1. It was a casual sneaker and not part of the company’s mission statement. But the demand for it was too great, so they eventually reconsidered their stance on retiring the pair for new releases. With a whole community on its own, there are customizers making new colorways out of these shoes. With customizers applying Gucci and MCM material to the Swooshes to usher in the whole concept of luxury sport clothing.
The best-selling athletic sneaker ever
The Air Force 1 has been around for 30 years, and it has spawned thousands of variations. But unlike other long-lived sneakers, this shoe is still a viable athletic product because When was the last time you saw someone balling in Chuck Taylors or even running in Cortez?
The future of the Air Force 1
With the popularity of the sneaker till this day with its clean, white leather upper, everyone can wear them with about every clothing item, so that is what makes this incredible sneaker so versatile. Do you already have them in your sneaker rotation? If not, pick out your new pair above! Interested in other sneakers? Take a look at the Jordans, Air Max or Nike Dunks.