Release Date! Nike Air Force 1 Anniversary Edition ‘Bronx Origins’
News on this release was first published May 6, 2022.
Update October 3, 2022: The release date for the Nike Air Force 1 ‘Bronx Origins’ is here! Both men’s and women’s sizes have been loaded onto SNKRS, and you can try your hand at copping them on October 15.
Update June 27, 2022: Official images have surfaced of the Nike Air Force 1 ‘Bronx Origins’! A release won’t be too far away. In the meantime, scroll down to learn more.
are celebrating the 40th anniversary of the in 2022, and as part of the festivities, they’ve cooked up a special ‘Bronx Orgins’ that honours the Bronx. When it comes to AF1 history, Harlem may be known for the famous ‘Uptowns’ nickname – bestowed on the Air Force 1 because of its status in the Upper Manhattan neighbourhood – but the Bronx is equally as important to the Air Force 1. Not only is the Bronx the birthplace of hip-hop, an art form that’s long championed the Air Force 1, but it was also the location of ‘Jew Man’s,’ a famous boutique owned by Teddy Held that was the best spot in all the five boroughs to score fresh Air Force 1s at in the 1980s and 1990s.
That‘s a lot of history to pack into one shoe, so the ‘Bronx Orgins’ does it in a concise fashion. Its moniker is printed in black Olde English font under its translucent outsoles, while the upper is made of premium white leather and embellished with a black Swoosh. Special details include ‘1973’ and ‘1982’ lace dubraes that nod to the year hip-hop was created and the year the Air Force 1 first released, respectively, a gold-accented tongue tag, another Olde English hit on the heel and a special record detail on the insole.
Ironically enough, Nike took local flak for not showing the Bronx enough love only two years ago. When they in 2020 to focus on sales through their own channels and partnerships with large chain retailers/boutiques, several independent sneaker retailers received correspondence stating that their accounts were being terminated. One of these retailers was Frank‘s Sports Shop in the Bronx, a nearly century-old business that had held a Nike account for almost 40 years and, according to co-owner Ron Stein, was one of the Swoosh’s oldest accounts in the metro NYC area. ‘I know one thing. My people are rich in heart, rich in attitude, and they don’t believe they’re ever down, and I don’t like it when [brands] treat us as a down place,’ Ron Stein’s father Moe Stein at the time. Maybe this Air Force 1 is the Swoosh extending an olive branch to the Boogie Down BX!
A release date for the Nike Air Force 1 Anniversary Edition ‘Bronx Origins’ has yet to be announced but will likely arrive soon. In years past, the Swoosh have keyed up NYC-exclusive drops for Big Apple-themed Air Force 1s, so it’s not unreasonable to think a release of that nature could be going down here as well!
Check out the latest AF-1s on Nike’s webstore via the link below!