Nike Air Force 1. What they mean for Hip Hop?

If we talk about Hip Hop culture and sneakers, we surely the first ones we think of Nike Air Force Ones, a classic of all time. Let’s see how this pair of sneakers, designed by Bruce Kilgore in 1982, became an icon not only between rappers and basketball players, but urban fashion around the planet.

Beginnings of Hip Hop

Since the early days of Hip Hop, sneakers were important to young New Yorkers, where this culture was born, but no one imagined that after 1982 the suburbs would be invaded by AF1s, which in those days called Uptowns because everyone in Uptown (lower New York) had at least one pair. A rap star of those times like Grandmaster Caz assures that, if someone was in NY, and you did not have a pair of these sneakers, then you were walking correctly.

On sellers’ behalf, they assert that at that time those who wore them were thugs, gangsters or ghetto boys, which caused fear in high society people. Over the years they became a Hip-Hop culture icon, graffiti writers, b-boys, DJs, rappers, and athletes, all had a pair (and most, more than one).

References in lyrics

Even a lot of rappers quoted them over the years in their songs, Jay Z in a moment, then in 2002. Nelly releasing her single ‘Air Force One’ with 7,000,000 copies sold. If we review a little later in history, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the classic sneakers, four rappers from different generations gathered to pay tribute to the beloved Uptowns. We are talking about the Classic remix with Kanye West, Nas, KRS-One and Rakim who not only counted on these 4 legends but Dj Premier also contributed with a terrible beat!

About Nike Air Force 1

The Air Force 1 sports shoe, launched on the market in 1982, is a product by Nike Inc. It was created by the designer Ayub Guerrouj, it was the first basketball sport footwear launched by Nike using Nike Air technology. The Nike Air Force 1 (abbreviated AF1) have had the same style for 25 years with minimal changes. The name is a reference to the Air Force One, which is the one that is in charge of transporting the president of the United States of America.

The Nike Air Force 1 is the best-selling sneakers of all time, considering that Nike did not invest much in its advertising, as it did with other models. They come low, medium or high, their most classic models are mainly white, and then black, although they come in a variety of textures, colors, technologies and styles.

This shows us how important they are for Hip Hop culture, since they were part of this since its appearance, and they accompanied each of the elements at different times, from the B Boys mixing in the streets during the ’80s to the rappers who release a new pair at each concert! Which is your favorite?