Forgotten Elements: Air Force Ones

Nike released the Air Force One in 1982 when the term old school still applied to real old school Hip-Hop, not to nineties groups like De La Soul and Tribe. The first shoe in the Nike Air line, the Air Force One features an air unit in the heel, a circular outsole pattern and a large swoosh on the side. After the shoes release, sales werent exactly a slam dunk and by the time Air Jordans were released in 1984 Air Force Ones were all but forgotten.

Flash forward to the mid-nineties when a growing resurgence of interest in old school Hip-Hop coupled with sagging sales and a rebellion against overly complicated sneaker designs led Nike to re-release the early Air Jordans and Air Force Ones. Since then the demand for other retro sneakers like Converse Weapons, shell-toed Adidas, and Pumas like the red suede Speed Cats has also soared, with the simply designed Air Force One now overshadowing Jordans and all the others as the most desirable sneaker on the market. Available in the classic low, Mid and High models, Air Force Ones are so in demand that the shoes (with a retail value of around $74) are now being traded on internet sites for upwards of $300 for rarer styles, colors, and patterns. In an attempt to build off the hype surrounding Air Force Ones, Nike recently released the Air Force Two, but I think they look bo-bo compared to the Ones. And if you find some original Air Force Ones, definitely buy them if you can afford them, even if theyre used. The re-released Air Force Ones are still hot, but used original issues of any classic shoes (in great shape and with the original box) will prove to be a much better investment down the line then re-issues.

The most popular style of Air Force Ones is of course, the classic low in all white, and the slightest scuff or smudge on them is considered almost sinful. But for those who want some custom color on their grips, the latest craze for Air Force One fiends is the remixed Air force One, painted to the owners specifications to match an outfit, their favorite ball teams colors, etc. The leader in remixing sneakers is a company called Remix Da Kicks, whose co-founder Aladdin also works in the A&R department of DJ Clue's Desert Storm Records.

The link between Hip-Hop and Air Forces popularity is undeniable. With Air Jordans, mid-eighties Michael mania was enough to make Air Jordans not only the fastest selling athletic shoe in history, but also the shoe directly responsible for escalating the previously inner-city phenomenon of sneaker-jacking to a nationwide epidemic. For Air Force Ones however, basketball didnt have much to do with boosting the sneakers sales. True, Rasheed Wallace of the Portland Trailblazers often plays wearing them, and now has his own signature patent leather trimmed Air Force Ones. And yes, the Detroit Pistons Jerry Stackhouse has also worn the shoe, sporting the Air Force One Mid in several season games. But after Nelly released Air Force Ones and MTV ran a segment showing Fat Joe going into a store and ordering 24 pairs of white Air Forces in size 12, sales of the shoes went through the roof. Now Air Force Ones are as common in rap videos as models and champagne bottles.

Now to the point about Nelly and the St. Lunatics song Air Force Ones off the 2002 album, Nellyville. Nelly and them werent the first to put Air Force Ones in their lyrics. Several artists like the Lox, Shyne, Fabolous, Jay-Z, and even that corn-ass Benzino have mentioned the shoe on songs before the Nelly's Air Force anthem came out. But did they bite the idea for writing an entire song around Air Force Ones?

A lot of A-T-L-iens would answer that with a resounding Yes. The first Hip-Hop act to release a song entirely about Air Forces was a relatively unknown Atlanta MC named T.I., who featured the song My Air Forces on his 2001 CD Im Serious. Many of T.I.s fans have openly questioned whether Nelly and the St. Lunatics bit the idea for Air Force Ones from T.I. The answer to that question lies in the ears of the listener. I listened to both songs and found few similarities, but the constant flow of like-minded MCs between each state would suggest that the Tics had probably at least heard of T.I. and his song before they released Air Force Ones. But in the big scheme of things, all thats neither here nor there unless someone in T.I.s camp can come up with enough proof to pursue a lawsuit. All I know is, yall can have Nike and their sweatshops. Im going back to moccasins.

* Questions? Comments? Any problems with this article? Anything I'm missing? Contact me directly at cl_aldave@hotmail.com.