The Nike Air Force 1 Mid Sees the Stars
The has spent almost 40 years in circulation (notwithstanding a very brief hiatus in the mid 1980s), but it’s never run out of ideas. Sometimes these concepts are self-referencing, such as this new that expands on the star detail that has not been overly emphasised in recent years.
The stars are an integral part of the AF-1’s outsole design; placed at the toe and heel rim, this textural addition adds grip and also has become an indicator of wear (describing a used AF-1’s condition as a percentage of the stars remaining on the outsole was common during the sneaker forum era). Additionally, in circa 2007, Nike changed the packaging of the shoes to include wrapping paper decorated with stars stamped into the surface. It’s this pattern that finds itself on these upcoming Uptowns, replacing the usual perforation found on the toe box and mid panel, running up into the ankle collar. This unique treatment is bordered by tumbled leather, before sitting atop a faux vintage yellow midsole. The laces are similarly shaded to imply the passage of time.
These AF-1s will leave shelves star struck when they land at retailers later this year.