Re imagining the classic, Nike brings the beloved and iconic Air Force 1 in a new Ultra Flyknit silhouette. At half the weight of its compatriot – the new Air Force 1 Ultra Flyknit has borne other firsts in the series including a leather swoosh and Fly wire lacing.
Thirty-four years after its launch and 2,000 iterations later, the Air Force 1 — an iconic shoe with roots in basketball and legend status in street culture — remains one of Nike’s most recognizable silhouettes. As a foundational design, it also presents an opportunity to re imagine new visions of classics.
To usher the icon into the future, while taking its legacy, use and symbolism into consideration, Nike designers tasked themselves with marrying the original silhouette and Nike’s breathable, lightweight Flyknit material. But the application process wasn’t wholly intuitive.
It started with Nike Sportswear designers taking steamy 12-hour inspiration strolls around Paris in the summer, which led to the conviction that they could make the shoe lighter and more flexible while enhancing fit and reducing creasing on the toe vamp.
The designers knew that they needed a solution that preserved the essence of the original Air Force 1. Taking a hands-on approach, Nike Footwear Design Director Jonathan Johnsongriffin bonded a dark grey Flyknit upper to a 3D-printed prototype of an Air Force 1 sole, then used a black marker to color in the Swoosh and eye soles.
The Air Force 1 Ultra Flyknit launches globally on 28 January 2016, and will be stocked at Nike Shaw, Nike Raffles City (Women’s only) and various Limited Edition outlets at S$239 and S$269. Get yours in time for Lunar New Year!
