Get ready for this blow to your idea of how old you are – Nike Air Force 1‘s turn 35 this year. Holy. Shit.
The iconic sneaker design from 1982 has barely changed – although numerous colour-ways have been produced – and it remains one of the most popular styles for sneaker collectors to buy up big in.
Now, Nike’s collaborated with some primo names, giving them the freedom (well, within reason) to give their own take on the iconic style. Travis Scott, Virgil Abloh of OFF-WHITE fame, Kareem ‘Biggs’ Burke from Roc-A-Fella, Errolson Hugh from Acronym, and Don C from Just Don all took to the design and added their own signature elements.
The most ubiquitous of Air Force 1 is the white-white. We selected collaborators who are impacting future generations in those respective areas. The brief for these guys was filtered through the white-white lens. The design process was a mixture of remaining classic and recognisable to Air Force 1 while connecting to their lives personally and the fields they represent. The shoe was authentic to these guys and we were open to the possibility to push the design further.