Another way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Air Force One is sharing the development. The first 5 Air Force Ones are in a set called Crafting The Perfect One, which we have pictures of (when you read “more”). The video above shows the steps and process of making the special Nike Air Force One. More coming soon, Enjoy!
At Nike the focus of craftsmanship is enhancement. The quest to make products better never ends. Nike designers dedicate themselves to the challenge of meeting the needs of athletes and surpassing one level only to eclipse the next. With this in mind, the 25th year celebration of the Air Force 1 was inspired by a singular goal: to honor the brand’s innovative past by taking into account the needs of AF1 athletes and consumers and improving the product based on their insights.
Meeting the needs of athletes means bringing them unexpected improvements and innovative design. This was Nike designer Bruce Kilgore’s original framework for the AF1 and it’s the same principle that’s guiding the development of the product today. For 2007 Nike will introduce an updated AF1 collection of basketball footwear and apparel.
The latest collection of Air Force 1 footwear vividly expresses Nike’s commitment to authentic craftsmanship and raises that level of craftsmanship to a point beyond anything done in the past. To achieve this level every step of the design process was scrutinized and strengthened. The result is a collection of basketball shoes that not only continues the legacy of the Force footwear collection , but updates that legacy and refines its original impact. The mark left by that impact serves as the announcement for a new level of innovation and a new standard of incredible craftsmanship – a set of guiding principles that will be met by every Air Force basketball shoe now and in the future.
Dedicated to the philosophy of thorough and detailed craftsmanship, each new collection of the Air Force 1 product includes several new design enhancements or that comprise these guiding principles and new standard of craftsmanship. Each AF1 is bound by precise stitching using a re-engineered technique and the overall form of the shoe entails laser etching: a procedure which employs the best technology available. The white color of the iconic white-on-white AF1 shoe has been made richer and more vividly white by using a 10A full grain leather finish. The laces of each AF1 shoe have been refined and stain guarded; re-crafted cushioned inserts(have improved the quality of the collar lining and the tongue. The general comfort of the shoe has been elevated by improving cushioning in the heel, the cupsole, and the footbed. Even the famous stars on the AF1 stars have been re-engineered as a nod to those who have aligned themselves with the Force brand for more than two decades. In the end, every improvement and update to the Air Force 1 collection is both a response to consumer need and a continuing commitment to Nike craftsmanship. And each addition builds off the principle that the AF1 is a product that personifies the athletes it was designed for and embodies the culture it has lived for.
The entire process of building the Air Force 1 has been relentlessly inspected for the sole purpose of improving every detail of production. Five years were spent improving the process in order for the design expectations of the new Air Force 1 to be met. Tools utilized for constructing the AF1 have been redeveloped to insure the absolute highest level of quality. Everything from tip reinforcement, collar lining, cushioned inserts, and cupsole stitching has been examined and made better by adding new tools and techniques that have enhanced the making of the AF1 and create the most beautiful shoe possible. The drive to innovate and place superior craftsmanship above all else informed every step of this five-year process and the creation of this next generation of basketball shoes reflects this philosophy. The standards set by the new Force product will be met by every AF1, thus making these innovations a watershed moment in the history of not only Nike basketball, but the culture of basketball as a whole.
The improvements made to the Air Force 1 is where the story starts, but, innovation is an infinite journey and the desire to bring an unexpected and genre-defining product has resulted in a shoe that means just as much to the game of basketball now as the debut of the AF1 did 25 years ago.”
