Nike Create the Air Force 1 Crater Flyknit for Kids
The is perhaps one of the most prolifically experimented on sneakers. There are probably a couple of dozen variants over its almost 40-year history. The latest remake incorporates some of the Swoosh’s latest sustainable technologies, including Crater Foam, Nike Grind, and Flyknit.
Crater Foam is most prominently used on the series, and is composed of recycled rubber and foam that is reformed into a lumpy, gunky compound. Think of it as a squishy blue inedible peanut butter. Behind its bumpy surface is an Air sole unit – it is called the Air Force 1 after all.
Paired with this Crater Foam/Air midsole is Nike Grind zones at the heel and toe cap. Nike Grind is the latest iteration of regrinding manufacturing off-cuts and waste used to make a durable material – perfect for outsoles. To accentuate the clean credentials of this production, the AF-1’s distinct star tread is massively enlarged and rendered in contrasting grey.
Up top, the usual leather build is substituted for lightweight Flyknit, which has been proven as a lightweight, breathable, and environmentally friendlier material for almost 10 years now. Less is more, so the weave has been tuned to effectively create a one-piece upper, save for some contrasting microfibre Swoosh, eyestay, and heel tab.
Nike clearly want to start them young, so these AF-1 Crater Flyknits look like they’ll be initially releasing in GS sizes.