Nike Air Force — BrandWiki

Nike Air Force

Nike Air Force is a range of athletic shoes made by Nike. It was created by designer Bruce Kilgore[1] and was the first basketball shoe to use Nike's "Air" technology. The shoe is offered in low-, mid- and high-top styles.

Description

The shoes are sold in three different styles: low, mid, and high. The mid comes with a connected strap. The high-top Air Force 1s come with a velcro strap; the mid-top strap is secured to the shoe while the high-top's strap is movable and removable on some versions. Although the shoe comes in different colors and color schemes, the most common Air Force 1s sold are solid white (also referred to as "white on white"), the second most common being solid black ("black on black").[2] Another identifying characteristic of an Air Force 1 shoe is a small medallion secured to the bottom of the laces but with holes on both sides so it can be removed by sliding it off the shoe lace.[3] The medallion is engraved with the inscription "AF-1", with the year "'82" inscribed beside it, which has historically been colored silver.

Models

Air Force 1

The Nike Air Force 1 was designed by Bruce Kilgore in 1982.[4] The name is a reference to Air Force One, the plane that carries the President of the United States. Nike Air Force 1s were ubiquitous in Harlem, New York, giving rise to the nickname "Uptowns".[5]

The Air Force 1 began production in 1982 but was discontinued in 1984.[6] It was re-introduced in 1986 with the modern italic Nike logo with a "Swoosh" insignia on the bottom of the back of the shoe. Little has changed to the Air Force One since its creation in 1982, although the stitching on the side panels of earlier versions is no longer present. Since its creation, over 1,700 color variations have been produced, bringing in an estimated annual revenue of US$800 million by 2007.[7][8]

Air Force 2

The Air Force 2 shoe introduced in 1987 is a newer variation of the original. 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 internationally in the early 2000s. 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 with almost any color used to fill in the Nike Swoosh and back heel.

Air Force 3

The Air Force 3 introduced in 1988 was the most popular version of the Air Force series. It was worn by many basketball players at the time. The Air Force III was more rugged looking and more durable than the previous two versions. The original colorway was white/medium grey/black, however several other colors were introduced shortly after. An actual "Air FORCE" logo was introduced on this model as well, with an image of half of a basketball on the tongue. This logo would be used on the rest of the Air Force series. The Air Force III was re-issued in 2006 in a very limited edition of colorways for the high top, and several colorways for the low top version.

Air Force STS

The Air Force STS (also known as Air Force 4 or Air Force IV) was introduced in 1989. It may be a reference to the Space Transportation System, the official name for the Space Shuttle. It was regularly worn by David Robinson in his rookie year. The Air Force STS features Nike's elephant print and is also slightly higher than the first three versions of the Air Force series.

Air Force 5

The Air Force 5 was introduced in 1990. The Air Force V was the first model to make the airbag visible on the side heels of the shoe. The most popular colorway was white/medium grey/black/orange. Just like the previous version it was slightly higher than the first three versions.

Air Force 180

The Air Force 180 was introduced in 1991. The new shoe followed the same design as the previous model with a visible air unit and featured a synthetic upper. This model also came in three versions. One with a velcro strap across the laces and another with a special pump unit to inflate the shoe with air.[9][10]

Retro versions

In 2007, for the 25th anniversary of Air Force 1, Nike created the Air Force XXV, which took inspiration from the original model. This version featured a mismatched set of medallions to commemorate its twenty fifth anniversary; one being from the original Air Force 1s with the other from the Air Force 25s.

To further commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Air Force 1, two high-end makes of the shoe were introduced. They were made in Italy, one from crocodile leather and the other from anaconda leather, and were adorned with gold aglets. They were sold in limited quantities and had a list price of $2000, making them some of the most expensive Nike sneakers sold at retail.[11][12]

In 2009, Nike created Air Force 09, an update of the original shoe. The shoe comes in solid black or white.

In 2010, Nike commissioned DJ Clark Kent to design a Nike Air Force 1 Low pack of special limited edition Air Force 1 shoes.

In 2017, Nike partnered with Don C, Kareem "Biggs" Burke, Errolson Hugh, Travis Scott and Virgil Abloh for the 35th anniversary of the shoe.[13]