THE JOURNAL
The Nike Air Force 1, 1982. Photograph courtesy of Nike
In 2002, when the Texas-born, Y2K-chart-topping rapper Nelly released “Air Force Ones” (which was supported by a comical music video that has is now reaching 75m views on YouTube) as a homage to his favourite sneaker from Nike, no one could contest that the Air Force 1 hadn’t captured the global zeitgeist.
This month marks the 40th anniversary of the Nike AF-1, with several hundred million pairs sold worldwide in low, middle and high variants. Rap artists name-checking the sneaker in hit tracks has certainly helped the popularity of the AF-1. But none of it would have been possible without designer Mr Bruce Kilgore.
“I think it's impossible to overstate Bruce Kilgore's influence at Nike and his impact on wider sneaker culture,” says Mr Alex Powis, art director and author of Sneakers Unboxed: Studio To Street. “Ignoring his entire career – which includes key Nike moments such as the Air Jordan 2, Air Sock and Air Ace, and he is still active today – and focusing on the Air Force 1 alone, he is, without doubt, one of the most influential footwear designers of all time.”
The Air Force 1 was Nike’s first foray into basketball and it made an instant impact. “In the early- to mid-1980s, the competition in the sneaker industry was pretty even and the high-top leather basketball shoe market was quite saturated,” says Mr John Kim, editor-in-chief of Sneaker News. “Basketball players and competing brands definitely took notice of the AF-1 as it had a strong marketing campaign.”
With a lineup of six NBA heavyweights featuring Messrs Michael Cooper, Moses Malone, Calvin Natt, Jamaal Wilkes, Bobby Jones and Mychal Thompson, it was always going to be a slam dunk. But, add in the stylistic direction of The Original Six standing in front of an Air Force 1 – the President’s go-to method of aerial transportation, from which the sneaker takes its name – it was immediately iconic.
In terms of the design, the original AF-1 fused cutting edge technology with a sleek, performance-enhancing construction. “I’d go as far as saying that Bruce’s approach to minimalist design in footwear follows in the steps of Dieter Rams – good design is as little as possible,” Powis says.
Clean and simple, it had a stabilising cupsole bolstered with Nike’s innovative Air Technology (a first for a basketball sneaker), which used pressurised air in a durable, flexible membrane to provide lightweight cushioning. With its mesh side panel, toe box and mudguard to aid the player’s movement, the sneaker was finished with silver hardware at the base of the lace system with “AF-1 82” engraved in the centre and a grey strap, sole and swoosh.
The AF-1 was discontinued in 1984 after a mere two years. According to Kim, this was a given. “This was a time when every brand was pumping out new design after new design, and it didn’t make sense to keep an ‘old’ shoe in production.”
Nike poster of NBA players Messrs Michael Cooper, Moses Malone, Calvin Natt, Jamaal Wilkes, Bobby Jones and Mychal Thompson, 1983. Photograph courtesy of Nike
Nowhere in the whole of the US was more upset about the discontinuation of the model than the city of Baltimore. But, thanks to Mr Harold “Mr Shoe” Rudo and two business associates, they pitched Nike to grant their three sportswear stores exclusive distribution rights of the AF-1 in the US. Nike obliged, and in 1986 eye-catching designs were being sold in the city as “Colour of the Month” exclusives and hype for the AF-1 ensued with sneakerheads regularly making the pilgrimage to Baltimore.
Baltimore can’t take all the credit, though, as the AF-1 was lacking one thing: street credibility. “While Baltimore may have had a hand in keeping Nike on notice of its popularity, New York City was responsible for making it a fashion statement,” Kim says.
It’s a notion that’s echoed by Ms Elena Romero, author of Free Stylin’: How Hip Hop Changed The Fashion Industry. “My hometown of New York can get some of the credit for fueling its popularity and that can be attributed to street ball players at places like Rucker Park to drug dealers and hustlers to the likes of Jay-Z, Fat Joe and Cam’ron,” she says.
Harlemites referred to them as Uptowns, and it wasn’t long until they were appearing on album covers, as seen on Mr Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock’s 1982 record It Takes Two, making it one of the earliest signs of the AF-1 finding a place within hip-hop.
“It’s the simplicity. That’s it. The thing is a canvas for expression and creativity”
In 1992, Nike released the all-white AF-1 low and it was quickly embraced by the wider hip-hop community and its leaders hailing from Harlem and beyond. No two, however, were more renowned than the AF-1 obsessives Messrs Damon Dash and Kareem Burke, who co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records and were responsible for igniting Jay-Z’s prodigious career.
Dash met Jay-Z, who was struggling to get a record deal at the time, through DJ Clark Kent in 1994. But, if it wasn’t for the AF-1, it could well have been a fleeting acquaintance. “Back in those days, Brooklyn dudes didn’t wear Nike Airs. So, that was a flag for me,” revealed Dash on Mr Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay podcast.
Throughout the 2000s, the AF-1’s was inextricably linked with hip-hop, and several leading artists and record labels from Roc-A-Fella to Terror Squad Records released limited edition collaborations. In addition to its street credentials, this was because of one thing: “It’s the simplicity. That’s it. The thing is a canvas for expression and creativity,” Powis says.
Louis Vuitton x Nike Air Force 1, 2022. Photograph courtesy of Sotheby’s
Indeed, the AF-1 is the perfect template for artists, labels and fashion brands to express their creative psyche, as evidenced by the fact that there have been more than 2,000 colour variations released to date. From Supreme to Spacejam by way of KAWS and even PlayStation, no single entity is associated with the AF-1 more than the late Mr Virgil Abloh.
“It’s the most coveted of all the Off-White x Nike footwear models and it’s perhaps the poster boy for the DIY/unfinished aesthetic that still persists today,” Kim says of the designer’s 2018 release. “It laid the groundwork for the eventual Louis Vuitton x Air Force 1, which in many ways is identical to the design of the Off-White x Air Force 1.” Today, Virgil’s AF-1s are the most coveted sneakers in the world that are worth tens of thousands of pounds.
On the 35th anniversary of the AF-1 in 2017, Nike released a press release that read, “Without Baltimore, the Nike Air Force 1 might have faded out of existence”. It’s safe to say, though, that without the championing of hip-hop culture the AF-1 would have never stepped off the court and made its accent to becoming one of the most iconic, instantly recognisable shoes ever.
“With every hip-hop generation, there will be another shoe adopted into the fashion mix but classics like the Air Force 1s will always be a part of their wardrobe,” Romero says.
In celebration of its 40th anniversary, Nike has released a selection of more retro-looking Air Force 1 models. Ranging from mid-tops constructed from lilac and chocolate suede to retro options that Baltimore would be proud of, such as a low-top in white/red and white/blue with a gum sole, they're available on MR PORTER now.