In celebrating the 35th anniversary of the 1982 Nike Air Force 1, the Swoosh has teamed up with a group of renowned creatives from around the globe. Tapping Don C, Kareem “Biggs” Burke, Errolson Hugh, Travis Scott and Virgil Abloh, Nike all out embraced the concept of collaboration in recognizing the Air Force One’s impressive milestone.
“I looked at the making of this shoe the same way I make an album. I wanted it to tell a story about me. I set the tone to go crazy at my shows. I’m the acid of rap.”
“It was great timing for us to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Air Force 1, because we just finished celebrating 20 years of Roc-A-Fella. If you think about Roc-A-Fella, you think about the logo. If you think about sneakers, you think about Air Force 1s. To have our logo on the Air Force 1, is very special to us. Air Force 1s are true to Roc-A-Fella.
The Roc-A-Fella logo means something to all of us. We wear it on our heart. It’s more than just a symbol, it’s about the belief system behind it. It’s loyalty, integrity, relationships, friendships; it’s the brotherhood behind the logo.”
Virgil Abloh – Air Force 1 ’07 “OFF-WHITE”
Avaliable November 4 (Only At ComplexCon)
“It’s all one expression. It’s the Off-White ideology of altering product. That’s my brand and my way of making things. I like to start with something established and then iterate on a process to edit it.
What I love about the three Air Force 1s I’ve worked on with Nike, so far, they encompass one idea executed in three different ways. With this one, the colorway is important. The Air Force 1 isn’t iconic in just any color, they’re iconic in one: white. White is the theme for this third Air Force 1, looking at the cultural context of the white on white — editing it, but not editing it too far to where it becomes something else.”
Errrolson Hugh – Lunar Force 1 “Acronym ’17”
Available December 3
“At the beginning, when we first were approached by Nike to look at the Lunar Force 1, the first thing we asked ourselves was, ‘Why should we do this? What could we possibly bring to the table that Nike doesn’t already know how to do?’
In the end, we decided to approach it just like we approach the apparel, which means: Look at a problem, or look at an aspect of the functionality, and see if there’s a way we can improve it.”
Don C – Air Force One Hi “Just Don”
Available December 1
“I knew I wanted to use premium leather and to mix the best quality of material and fabrics, and we did just that. There were details from the Air Force 2 and Air Force 3 that I wanted to bring into the shoe, and I appreciate Nike giving me the freedom to push the limits there.
We’re talking about the Air Force 1. It’s the OG, the grandfather, the one that started it all. I always feel that you have to be down with your family, because that’s who’s always going to be there for you. Family doesn’t always mean blood, but you have to keep them close and respect the ones who are looking out for you. I just wanted to pay respect to this iconic silhouette, and make sure kids really appreciate what it means to stick with your family.”
