Air Force Ones are Hip-Hop staples and wardrobe musts. Every sneaker aficionado should have at least one pair in their collection but if not, it’s time to make the purchase, especially in 2007.

Nike has begun the 25-year celebration of their most popular shoe. Established in 1982 and initially only available in certain east coast cities, AF1s have become a worldwide phenomenon — Nelly even made a song about them. Debuting during a time when the most popular sneakers were made of canvas, and were extremely hard on the feet, AF1s gained popularity at astronomical rates because they were relatively affordable, had a different design from the norm, and were exceptionally comfortable. They literally have air technology hence their name.

AF1s were the shoe to wear on basketball courts in various cities including, Baltimore, New York and Philadelphia. Having a pair of the legendary kicks was synonymous with looking fly. Now, a quarter of a century old and numerous variations later, the shoe is getting better, with new and improved models.

The main feature of the Air Force One 25-year anniversary celebration will be a six-pack in honor of the six legendary NBA players, Michael Wilkes, Jamal Thompson, Michael Cooper, Moses Malone, Calvin Natt and Bobby Jones, who first wore the kicks on the court. Each of the original players will have a design specifically made for them selves, and there will be a current set of players with their own designs as well.

All other AF1 lovers will be able to indulge in a sleeker, more comfortable shoe as there are some original design flaws and inconsistencies that have been fixed. The material on the inside is different, including a leather finish, the shape of the shoe is more natural to the foot (with a wider heel and better support in the arch), they’re stain resistant, less likely to crease, and the all-white ones are even whiter. Lady sneaker-enthusiasts will also be happy to know that there will be more variety in women’s designs. There’s even a new model for everyone, called the Air Force 25.

Nike is also working on releasing a line of dressy Air Force Ones for those who love them so much, that they get married and go to prom in them. There are currently two models; one in all white, which is handmade in Italy and covered in anaconda skin, and the second pair are brown, also handmade in Italy, and covered in crocodile skin. While this dressy-pack will be extremely rare (there will only be a couple of hundred in the world), and expensive ($2,000), this is only the beginning. There will most likely be additions to the dressy line that are more affordable, and easily available.

For those who may not be able to afford $2,000, but maybe $200, there will be supreme versions available with screw on laces in order to keep them in place, and for those who like Air Force Ones but don’t want to break their pockets at all, fret not, the prices for the regular shoe will remain the same.

The 25-year celebration will last all year, but the new models unveiled will last forever, or at least until Nike thinks of something better. In the meantime, check out the nearest Nike apparel store near you. Be the first on your block with the new and improved Air Force Ones, or the Air Force 25s. It’s a celebration!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 2nd, 2007 at 12:00 pm and is filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.