Since its debut in 1982 the Nike Air Force One has been a unique and definitive model that has shaped the legacy of the Oregon footwear giant. Despite being a basketball shoe, the Air Force One actually draws much of its design inspiration from hiking boots. This may provide some insight into the distinctly square, if not stylishly clunky, durable nature of the look of the shoe. When compared to its contemporaries it stands out as if it wasn't ever intended to be a basketball shoe but instead a lifestyle shoe under the guise of an athletic model. Whether or not this was Nike's intention, the shoe has certainly been redefined as such by its faithful and diverse crowd of fans. The one notable exception to this being Rasheed Wallace, the former NBA all-star, Championship winner and Nike athlete who donned the Air Force One regularly as his model of choice on court.
Nike's undeniable appeal to the fashionably inclined and athletically apathetic is no coincidence and can be traced back to the company's advertising initiatives beginning in the mid 1980s. As the smallest and least viable sneaker company at the time to hold stake in professional sports, Nike decided to promote the lifestyle appeal of their products. Instead of producing print ads with the technological innovations of their newest basketball shoe they opted to show the average, non-athlete wearing their shoes despite their original design intent. Basketball shoes were shown on regular school kids congregating as friends, not competitors. Even when sports were the focus of the ad the settings were relatable, the athletes casual and stylish and the competitive advantage of the shoes weren't highlighted, the aesthetic appeal of the shoes were.
This marketing approach played a significant role in creating the brand as we know it today which dominates the global market in casual athletic wear. The Air Force One in particular has been a staple for the brand's catalog and is a favorite among hardcore sneaker collectors and casual consumers alike. The reason for this can be heavily attributed to its cultural significance in hip-hop and New York culture at large.
The Air Force One has been tied to hip-hop from the start and was worn in high visibility by some of the most popular and iconic artists from New York. Rakim can be noted as one of the earliest vocal fans of the model but Jay-Z and his entourage may be the most memorable. Hip-hop fashion trends blend seamlessly into the closets of New York's fashion forward as a sort of symbolic approach to representing their city. Despite the nature of this appropriation of hip-hop's cultural artifacts, it can't be denied. The Air Force One low even garnered a nickname that speaks to the city's fondness for the shoe which is often referred to as the "Uptown".
So it seems natural that Supreme, when given the opportunity, would bring the "Uptown" to the southern end of Manhattan and give it an extremely subtle yet significant brand badge to commemorate the achievement. The collaboration is, at its core, incredibly important to the heritage of Supreme as a brand and also remarkable in its existence. For Nike to allow a company to essentially do absolutely nothing significant to one of its most cultural significant models, bump the price up slightly and release it on a consistent basis is unprecedented.
The history of the two brands, Supreme's ability to rebrand some of the most ubiquitous products of all types and why that is so important is definitely way too long to include in this post. Let's just end it here.