Air Force 1 (shoe)
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The Air Force 1 athletic shoe, released in 1982, is a product of Nike, Inc. The Air Force 1,[1] created by designer Bruce Kilgore, was the first Nike basketball shoe to use the Nike Air technology.[2] The selling of the Air Force Ones online by certain retailers is even prohibited by Nike who has restricted supply of the sneaker.[3]
Little has changed to the Air Force One since its creation in 1982, although the original stitching on the side panels is no longer present in modern versions of the shoe. The name is a reference to Air Force One, the plane that carries the President of the United States. The shoes are sold in three different types: the low, the mid-top, and the high-top and come in many different colors, forms, textures, and patterns. The two most common forms of the Air Force 1's are the all white and, all black pairs. The Mid-Top Air Force 1 is a variation of the shoe and comes with a non-removable strap and a higher top.
The Air Force 1 was produced in 1982 and discontinued the following year. It was re-released in 1986 with the modern italic Nike logo with a swoosh on the bottom on the back of the shoe. Since then, over 1,700 color variations have been produced, bringing in an estimated 800 million USD/yr in revenue.[1][4]
The Air Force 2 shoe introduced in 1987 is a newer variation of the original Air Force 1 that was produced in 1982. The shoe is a typical flat soled, casual-wear sneaker that can be made in many different variations of colors. Also, Air Force 2s were re-released nationally in the early 2000's. They can be made in either the low-cut or high-top style. The shoe can be custom made in any color, but typically it has either a white or black based background color with almost any color used to fill in the Nike Swoosh and back heel.
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[edit] History
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[edit] Baltimore's Role in Air Force 1
The sneaker's following initially grew by word of mouth, with little TV advertising. The shoe originated in 1982, when Nike sales were 1-15th what they are now and its future endorsement king, Michael Jordan, was still a freshman at the University of North Carolina.
Curiously, the buzz for the Air Force 1 centered in Baltimore, far from the major fashion centers and the only place where the model was sold for a time after it was discontinued. By 1983, Nike was ready to discontinue the model for newer styles. But three Baltimore retailers-- Cinderella Shoes, Charlie Rudo Sports, and Downtown Locker Room-- banded together to implore Nike executives to reconsider. In pre-Internet days, word of mouth propelled sneaker-heads along the East Coast to Baltimore for Air Force 1's.
Eventually, Nike concluded that Baltimore was on to something. About 15 years after the shoes' exclusive run in Baltimore, the company re-released the Air Force 1 nationally in the mid-1990s.
[edit] Philadelphia Catches on
The AF1 was communicated to Philadelphia through the game of basketball. Philadelphia's basketball community adopted the shoe from the painted surfaces of their playgrounds to the streets. The attitude of players and basketball aficionados at this point was molded by love of the game and the shoes they played in. Soon, the AF1 was to become a major fashion phenomenon.
[edit] New York City
Harlem saw the rise of Nike's AF1 into the echelons of urban fashion. Known as "Uptowns", Nike AF1s were the favored shoe of hip-hop artists, street players, basketballers, and most everyone who saw and admired the sneakers on the street. It was at this point that the AF1 transcended its status as a basketball shoe to becoming "the shoe" that can be worn anywhere. Colorways were invented by graffitti artists and designers that made each pair unique and stand out from the bunch.
[edit] Pricing
Air Force 1s are mainly produced in Asia for about $12 per shoe. They are sold by Nike to retailers at about $48.50, and are then sold to the public for the present price of $80. It is said that retailers who sell them on discounted prices are penalized by either lower quantity shipments or none at all.[3] Throughout its production history, AF1s have never been sold at a discount.
[edit] Trivia
- Rapper Nelly composed the song Air Force Ones about the shoe.[3]
- MTV hosted a one night only show honoring the shoe. There were interviews from people including Bobbito Garcia. Also a performance including Rakim, KRS-One, Nas & Kanye West all performing on the same stage.
- Nike Commissioned a song to be created for the 25th anniversary of the sneaker. The song is produced by Rick Rubin and features Kanye West, Nas and KRS-One. There is also a remix by D.J. Premier that features the rapper Rakim. The song's title is "Better Than I've Ever Been"[5][1]
- Rasheed Wallace of the Detroit Pistons wears high-top versions in every game.
- Bathing Ape designs the Bape Sta using the AF1 as a base.
єΘ==References==
- ^ a b c Mark de la Vina. "On 25th Anniversary, Nike Cranks Up The Noise About Air Force Shoes", The Mercury News, February 10, 1007.
- ^ Derick Chetty. "Nike takes shot at pop-up concept", Toronto Star, February 17, 2007.
- ^ a b c Stanley Holmes. "All The Rage Since Reagan", Business Week, July 25, 2005.
- ^ Elizabeth Wellington. "Nike's Air Force 1s Are Still Flying High", The Ledger, February 22, 2007.
- ^ Neil Levine. "Nike Commissions a Rap Song in Honor of Its Air Force 1 Shoe", New York Times, February 26, 2007.
