Air Force 1
After working on a number of successful track and field shoes, Bruce Kilgore was tasked with bringing Nike’s new Air technology to the basketball court. This resulted in one of the greatest sneakers of all time, the Air Force. Coming in high and low top leather uppers and a thick Air-cushioned sole, this classic shoe is credited with inspiring Tinker Hatfield to enter the field of sneaker design.
By 1983, Nike already planned on shelving the Air Force in favour of a new model. However, the Three Amigos, a trio of sneaker retailers in Baltimore, Maryland, had other plans. The AF was already big in Baltimore, so they started the Colour of the Month Club, which drew in crowds of sneakerheads from all along the east coast and saved the Air Force from extinction.
The Air Force has not only survived but become one of the most iconic and ubiquitous shoes of all time. From crispy clean triple whites, to flashy colourways, the Air Force is here to stay.
