Nike celebrates the anniversary of the Air Force 1 with the AF100 project
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by Angelo Ruggeri
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Five creatives for a unique and timeless shoe model. On the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the Air Force 1, used for the first time on a basketball court (in 1978, this sport accounted for 20% of the brand’s turnover), Nike collaborated with creatives from around the world to celebrate the historic all-white model.
“There is no other shoe that connects simultaneously to sports, music, fashion, art, the street, and the city,” explains Al Baik, senior creative director of Nike Sportswear. “The most widespread Air Force 1 is the all-white ton sur ton (since its release 35 years ago, over 2 thousand different models have been produced, editor’s note). For the important anniversary, we chose collaborators who influence future generations across the board and entrusted them to start from the classic and recognizability of the all-white Air Force 1 to create models characterized by their personality and the respective fields they come from.”
Errolson Hugh, Virgil Abloh, Don “Don C” Crawley, Kareem “Biggs” Burke, and Travis Scott have thus realized their interpretation of the iconic shoe (in the gallery above). Here are the different models.
Lunar Force 1/Acronym ’17 by Errolson Hugh“At first, when Nike asked us to reinterpret the Lunar Force 1,” explains Errolson Hugh, founder of Acronym. “We wondered what we could add to such a historic model. We decided to approach the shoe just as we work with clothing: constantly seeking to improve its functionality.”
Air Force 1 ’07 Off White by Virgil Abloh“It is in the DNA of Off-White to alter the product,” says Virgil Abloh, founder of Off-White. “This is the approach I apply to my brand. I like to start with something defined and then apply a process of editing. I worked following this principle for all three Air Force 1 models I created for Nike, being careful not to overly modify the nature of this all-white model.”
Air Force 1 Hi Just Don by Don “Don C” Crawley“I knew I wanted to use the best leather and combine it with high-quality materials and fabrics, and so it was,” explains Don “Don C” Crawley. “There were details of the Air Force 2 and Air Force 3 that I wanted to incorporate into the Air Force 1, and I appreciate that Nike allowed me to do so.”
Air Force 1 ’07 Roc-A-Fella by Kareem “Biggs” Burke“Having our logo on the Air Force 1,” says Kareem “Biggs” Burke, “means a lot to us: it is a symbol that represents loyalty, integrity, relationships, and friendships. In a word? Brotherhood.”
Air Force 1 Low Travis Scott by Travis Scott“I worked on creating this shoe using the same method that leads me to create an album,” explains Travis Scott. “I wanted it to tell my story and excite the audience as it happens during my shows.”
The AF100 collection will be available at selected Nike retailers on the following dates: November 4th (exclusively at Complex Con): Air Force 1 ’07 Off-White; November 30th: Air Force 1 ’07 Roc-A-Fella; December 1st: Air Force 1 Hi Just Don; December 2nd: Air Force 1 Low Travis Scott and December 3rd: Lunar Force 1/Acronym ’17.