You Get an Air Force 1, Everyone Gets an Air Force 1!
Nike is home to plenty of memorable sneaker silhouettes. From the diversity of the Air Jordan family to the 90s legends of Air Max, it gets hard to pick favorites, but amongst it all, the Air Force 1, like cream, rises to the surface as a cross-generational staple.
No matter which continent you find yourself on, you'll find the Air Force 1 knocking about in great numbers. City to city, the silhouette crosses subcultural groups and demographics due to its classic profile, simple construction, and everyday wearability.
They're so good that Dr. Dre said he wears a brand new pair every day, with a stacked collection to substantiate his claim. Heck, there are even Instagram pages dedicated to cooked pairs.
A staple of Nike's offering since 1982, AF1s have typically held a modest price point, heightening their accessibility and cementing their global presence. In recent years, however, they've become a victim of inflation, with release and secondary market prices hitting all-time highs.
At the same time, it's undergone a series of classic makeovers courtesy of brands across the board, including Supreme, ACRONYM, Off-White, and everyone in between.
That being said, there's been a huge influx in collaborative takes on the classic over the past year, and it looks like this is a trend that's going to continue long into the months ahead.
As Nike's AF1 fever bubbles to a peak, here's a look at some of the biggest and best collaborations from 2022 and yet to come.
AMBUSH
Yoon has a proven track record working with the AF1, adding statement flair to the silhouette without sacrificing the integrity of the original.
While a "Triple Black" staple is nothing to write home about, throw some oversized Swoosh branding and slick detailing in the mix, and you've got a winner.
Jacquemus
While Jacquemus' recent tease of its upcoming Air Force 1 collaboration doesn't give much away, bar a beautifully textured leather upper and custom lace dubrae baring "JF1."
Unlike the majority of recent AF1 collaborations to fall from Nike's fruitful tree, the classic "Triple White" serves as canvas. No surprises here, though; would Jacquemues design a blacked-out sneaker? Probably not.
Stampd
We all love a collaboration with a good story, right? A bit of substance. Well, that's exactly what we're getting from Chris Stamp's next meeting with the Swoosh.
A three-way connect between Stamped, Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, and Nike, the project welcomes an extremely limited batch of 30 "Sushi Force Ones."
Louis Vuitton
It's hard to argue against Louis Vuitton's collection being the biggest AF1 collaboration of all time. A cultural moment in its own right, this team-up was a major piece of the puzzle where Virgil Abloh's legacy at both LV and Nike is concerned. Unforgetable, this AF1, in all of its variations, will forever be a part of streetwear history.
Tiffany
When Nike and Tiffany announced that they'd be embarking on an official collaboration following a selection of unofficial takes from the Swoosh over the years, fans were rightly excited. What followed didn't quite live up to the hype.
Taking the infamous blacked-out Air Force 1 Low as canvas, the team-up saw 925. Sterling Silver hardware applied to the sneaker, while Tiffany's famed blue hue offered the finishing touches.
NOCTA (Certified Lover Boy)
Drake's Certified Lover Boy AF1 (officially dubbed "Love You Forever") was undoubtedly the most hotly anticipated version of the sneaker in recent history. For months, fans were left waiting for the next crumb of information concerning its release.
Despite delay after delay, when these finally hit the market, fans ate them up like hotcakes. A restock followed, and once again, they flew off shelves.
Slam Jam
Last year, Slam Jam embarked on a collaborative hot streak that saw it link up with Salomon on the XT-6, Dr. Martens on the 1461, as well as its own in-house silhouette alongside Vibram.
One thing that you'll find all of Slam Jam's sneaker collabs have in common is palette – each and everyone is blacked out, and the Air Force 1 is no different.
