Words by Community member @mikesknowsbest
Tell us a bit about yourself.
Hi, I’m Michael, also known as @mikesknowsbest. I’m a proud father of a 10-year-old girl and currently work in the retail space. Born and raised in North London, I’m an avid Spurs fan and a big hip-hop enthusiast. As an 80s baby, I grew up in an era where I had to make one pair of kicks last a whole year.
As a Nike Air collector, can you tell us about your personal connection with the Air Force silhouette.
To me, the Air Force 1s are the most versatile sneaker/trainer. However, growing up in the 80s and 90s, I must admit that I never paid as much attention to the Air Force 1 as I should have. I was more drawn to designs with visible Air or unique vibrant styles. It wasn’t until the late 90s and early 2000s that my appreciation for the Air Force 1 grew. At that time, the white-on-white Air Force 1s were my go-to shoes.
I noticed a huge shift towards of Air Force 1s around the time Nelly released the track ‘Air Force 1s’. I honestly believe that this song played a key role in making Air Force 1s the worldwide phenomenon they have been for years.
Currently, I have over 30 variations of the Air Force model in my shoe collection (including highs, mids and lows). Although it’s a decent collection, I know there are people out there with absolutely insane Air Force collections. I realise I’m a small fish in a big pond, but I still love the shoe and appreciate it nonetheless. As mentioned earlier, I’ve always been a white-on-white Air Force person, but I also love the mids and lows. In that era of extra baggy jeans, they would sit perfectly on mids.
I remember buying a couple of Air Force shoes around the 25th Anniversary in 2007, including some mids. Yeah, I said it – I like mids too!
It’s always difficult to choose favourites from my collection because I genuinely love all of them. However, I would lean towards the Denim Air Force 1 that was released back in 2011. The quality of these shoes was great, and they had aspects that wouldn't have seemed out of place on a bespoke pair.
20 years on ice and the Terror Squad Air Force 1 has finally arrived. The pair has held legendary status even though it never came out, what do you remember about the time and where did you seem them?
For me, sneakers and hip-hop music have always been closely associated. Back in the day, MTV Cribs was an extremely popular show where you got to see how celebrities (allegedly) lived. Probably the most iconic episode from that show was the Fat Joe episode for a couple of reasons. Of course, you had the infamous licking of the shoe, which he did twice (on a white-on-white Air Force 1 as well as the Olympic Jordan 7). It was also memorable at the time because that was one of the first times a high-profile person had a genuine love and actual collection of shoes. Back then, it was extremely rare to see someone as a sneaker collector in that way.
The Terror Squad Air Force 1s have always held a mythical status for me. I remember back in the early days of sneaker internet, seeing images of them on NikeTalk forums. This was a time when official information was scarce, and I never thought I would own or even see a pair in real life.
The Air Force 1 especially in ‘Triple White’ is amongst the most iconic colourways. Are there any others that stand out for you that you want to see come back?
Some of my favourite Air Force 1s over the years that I would love to see retroed include the ‘Linens’. The colourway is sensational, and the pink swoosh is just perfection. Although there was a small rerelease a few years ago, they deserve a bigger rerelease.
Another one of my favourites is the Air Force 1 x Supreme Camo. Anyone who knows me would tell you that I'm a huge fan of anything camo, and the camo used on these shoes is lovely. What tops it off for me is the gum sole – and the little Supreme tab is the perfect amount of branding, too.
PlayStation x Air Force 1. Another myth of a shoe being a bit of a gamer (well back then) even the thought of a Nike shoe with official PlayStation branding was beyond my wildest dreams. The patent leather materials complemented both brands and the playful, yet serious colours gave the shoe a unique style.
Would you have liked to see another colour of the TS or are you happy with the scheduled pairs set to release?
While I think both of the released TS Air Forces are great, I would have loved to see the pink pair released as well. I have been tempted to create that pair using the ‘Nike ID/Nike By You’ programs several times over the years, but I have never found the right shade of pink to do them justice.
As a Nike Air enthusiast, what would you love to see next for the Nike brand and/or the Air Force 1 silhouette?
In recent years, we have seen some classic shoes re-released in their OG shape with improved materials, such as the Colour of the Month pack. However, I think Nike should lean even more towards the Air Force 1’s hip-hop roots and collaborate with more artists from the hip hop scene. Instead of a Colour of the Month pack, imagine an Old-School Hip-Hop Collaboration of the Month. For example, Nas one month, Jay Z the next, Nelly, Dr. Dre, and so on. This would honestly be sensational and pay homage to the people who made the Air Force 1 what it is today.
QUICK FIRE QUESTIONS
What are the top 3 Air Force 1’s?
Classic White on White, Linens and Fragment.
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Favourite AF1 collaboration?
The best collaboration has to be the OG White Virgil of the 10, as what he did to the Air Force was the perfect remix. I would also give a shout out to the OG Roc-A-Fella pair, as I feel that they paved the way for a lot of what we see today in terms of sneakers.
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Terror Squad x Air Force 1 ‘Blackout’ or Terror Squad x Air Force 1 ‘Porpoise’?
Out of the two releases, I have to go with the blackout pair. Black and white colour blocking on an Air Force can match any piece of clothing.
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Fat Joe made the AF1 White on White even more infamous by licking the sole of it. Would you do this on your fresh pair?
Although I love Air Forces and sneakers in general, I draw the line at licking the outsole of a fresh pair.
Check out more from Michael on Instagram @mikeknowsbest
