For our latest sneaker concept, we have returned to the Air Force 1, a much beloved sneaker that reportedly nets Nike over $100, 000,000 a year from its sales. Such a shoe has become instantly recognizable all around the world and is also available to be customized in Nike’s “By You” program, but we wanted to have a go at creating our own concept pair ourselves. So, without further ado, check out the result of our work above and read more about its creation and inspiration below.
Our concept comes in a navy blue nubuck upper, with white detailing on the Nike swoosh on the sides of the shoe, the lining, and around the Nike branding on the tongue. White is also present on the outsole, paired with a dark navy blue midsole, and the rest of the shoe, even the deubré which is usually silver, is coated in the same blue color. This is apart from the Nike branding on the tongue, which is the only black detail on the shoe.
Part of the inspiration for our shoes comes from another 80’s basketball silhouette, the Nike Dunk and its “Be True to your School” campaign. The ad focused on the Dunk coming in school colors that urged you to remain loyal to your own team and rep it on your feet. Nike made specific colorways for the schools who it sponsored, including Georgetown University, who we have been inspired by to create our concept. Featuring a similar dark navy blue and white color, our Air Force 1’s would work very well alongside a Georgetown jersey. Usually, Georgetown sneakers also feature grey on them, but we decided to cut out any grey detailing from our shoe in order to give our model a cleaner look that was truer to our model, the Air Force 1, that is more often dressed in simple color schemes.
Our concept reminds us of retro Air Force 1’s, which were released around the early 2000’s. These days, the Air Force 1 is constantly releasing in plenty different colorways, but most are filled with color, or alter the original make-up of the shoe, such as adding react cushioning into the sole, or adding an oversized swoosh to the side of the shoe. We wanted to keep our concept simple, and true to the original Air Force 1, giving our model a look that wouldn’t look out of place today, but would fit in just as well next to the fashion trends of the last few decades.
