Hitting the hardwood in 1982 and living on in the streets since, the Air Force 1 has donned countless textiles and unique materials throughout its storied existence. Now tastefully recreated in collaboration with NYC-based luxury denim label 3X1, the Air Force 1 now features another premium textile for the first-time ever. “If you think of every iteration that’s been done on the shoe, it’s always a challenge that the team takes on to reinvent it.” shared Senior Creative Director for Nike Sportswear Men’s Footwear, Al Baik.
Known for their bespoke denim sold out of their atelier in NYC, 3×1 brings selvedge denim to the Air Force 1 silhouette for the first-time ever. ““The first thing we started thinking about was using selvedge denim in a way that hadn’t been done before on a shoe.” explained 3×1 founder, Scott Morrison. In addition to using selvedge denim on the Air Force 1 for the first time ever, the collaboration brings denim to the collar lining and sockliner of the Air Force 1 for another first in the shoe’s history. The collaborative design arrives in three different colorways; raw indigo, stonewash denim & black denim. Celebrating 3×1 and adding their own touch, each shoe features 3×1’s signature detail that is seen on the back-left pocket of their denim. Other details include reflective below the Swoosh, along with 3×1 branding on the left sockliner. Crafted with 3×1’s premium selvedge denim, the collaborative Air Force 1 is made to be worn in and tell your own personal story. “The idea was to show that denim can get better with age, so why can’t your Air Force 1s?”