According to a recent report, Nike sells more than $800 million worth of its classic Nike Air Force 1 sneakers each and every year. This makes it one of the most popular sneakers of all time.
If you’re thinking about buying a pair of Nike Air Force 1 shoes, there are some things that you should know before you do it. Regardless of whether you’re going to purchase a pair of Nike Air Force 1 men’s sneakers or Nike Air Force 1 women’s sneakers, you should know all about the AF1 prior to purchasing it.
Today, we’re going to talk to you about everything you need to know about Nike Air Force 1 sneakers. Continue reading to discover more about them.
The Nike Air Force 1 Was First Released in the Early 1980s
With the Nike Air Force 1 being as popular as it is today, you might think that it was just released within the last few years. But believe it or not, the AF1 has been around for—get this—almost 40 years at this point!
Bruce Kilgore designed the AF1 way back in the early 1980s before Nike released it in an official capacity in 1982. It featured a simple design, but it quickly caught on and was a pretty popular shoe right from the very beginning.
It Was Originally Discontinued After Just 2 Years
Despite the early popularity of the Nike Air Force 1 sneaker, Nike didn’t intend on keeping it around for 40 years. In fact, they didn’t even plan on keeping it around for more than a few years back then.
In 1984, just two years after Nike released the original Nike Air Force 1, they discontinued the AF1 and stopped selling it in stores. It didn’t appear as though it was going to have the kind of lasting impact that it would eventually have.
It Was Later Re-Released and Never Went Away Again
Shortly after Nike stopped producing the Air Force 1, the company seemingly had a change of heart and realized that it had made a mistake. And it didn’t take very long for the Nike Air Force to make a return appearance.
Nike re-released the Air Force 1 in 1986 with pretty much the same exact design as it had before. They altered the Nike logo just a little and put a “Swoosh” on the back of the shoe. But other than that, everything with the AF1 stayed the same.
And this time, the AF1 proved that it was going to be around for good. It started to become even more popular and, at one point, it earned the nickname “Uptowns” thanks to its popularity in the Harlem section of New York City.
It Comes in Five Different Distinct Styles
When you picture the Nike Air Force 1 sneakers in your head, you probably picture either the low or mid versions. These two versions have been the most popular versions over time.
But it’s worth noting that there are five different distinct versions of the AF1. This includes the:
- Nike Air Force 1 Low
- Nike Air Force 1 Mid
- Nike Air Force 1 Super Low
- Nike Air Force 1 High
- Nike Air Force 1 Super High
Some versions are a little easier to find than others, especially if you’re looking for them in certain colors. But they’re all excellent options for those in the market for Nike Air Force 1 shoes.
It Has Been Created in Thousands of Colors
A big part of the reason why the Nike Air Force 1 has become such a popular shoe is that, at this point, it’s been created in almost every color you can imagine. There are almost 2,000 different official colorways of the Nike Air Force 1 out there.
The Nike Air Force 1 is also very easy to customize, which has turned it into a favorite of all the sneaker customizers out there in the world. There is almost an endless amount of possibilities as far as how you can customize a pair of AF1 sneakers.
It Has Enjoyed at Least Some of Its Success Thanks to Hip-Hop Music
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Air Force 1 back in 2007, Nike commissioned a rap song. They did it for a good reason: Because hip-hop music has helped to make the AF1 as popular as it is today.
No song exemplifies that more than “Air Force Ones,” a song released by rapper Nelly back in 2002. On the song, Nelly and his fellow St. Louis rappers Kyjuan, Ali, and Murphy Lee gave listeners a taste of which AF1s they’ve liked the most over the years. It was a huge hit and solidified the Air Force 1’s place in the sneaker world.
It’s Easier to Find in Stores Than It Used to Be
It used to be pretty difficult to locate a decent pair of Nike Air Force 1 sneakers in stores. Nike wouldn’t let just any store sell their AF1s, which made it tricky for a lot of people to find them.
But that has changed in this day and age. While Nike is still a little bit selective about which stores sell the Air Force 1, they’ve branched out into new stores to make AF1s easier to find. And in doing so, they’ve introduced a brand-new generation of kids to the AF1 and all that it has to offer.
Pick Up a Pair of Nike Air Force 1 Sneakers Today
If you’ve ever purchased a pair of Nike Air Force 1 sneakers, then you know what makes them so amazing. It’s an iconic shoe that won’t be going away anytime soon.
But if you haven’t ever picked up a pair of Nike Air Force 1 sneakers, you might not understand what all the hype is about. You should change that by going out and buying a pair for yourself. It won’t take you long to see why the shoe has become a staple for so many people over the last 40 years.
Want to read more about some of the other sneakers that you should add to your shoe collection? Find out all about them by checking out the other articles on our blog.
