The Death & Resurrection
After Nike gave the Air Force 1 its initial run it discontinued them, as it would do with its other products – however the buzz around the Air Force 1 was still strong and they were still in demand. In 1984 three retailers in Baltimore, Maryland affectionately nicknamed ‘The Three Amigos’ picked up on this and set-up a meeting with Nike in an attempt to resurrected the Air Force 1.It was Charley Rudo Sports, Downtown Locker Room and Cinderella Shoes petitioning to Nike to bring back this shoe – Nike initially weren’t as enthusiastic about the idea however agreed that if the Three Amigos take 2,400 pairs then they would do it. So in 1986 the Air Force 1 was back in three stores in Baltimore, available in royal blue on white and chocolate brown on white.
As the Amigo’s had expected the shoes sold out - the Air Force 1 was reborn! Nike again working with these retailers would develop a new colour-way for the Air Force and release it each month as what became known as the shoe of the month. With a shoe that had escaped the confines of the court and spread over onto the fashion that was there on the street, the shoe of the month was a huge success – people now were buying Air Force’s to go with different outfits, and the buzz around this shoe could not stop spreading and soon enough it had swept its way along the I-95 highway to Philadelphia and then onto New York. Paul Blinkin of Cinderella shoe’s recalls a time when people were coming down from New York and Washington D.C. to purchase a colour-way that they wanted.
This is a shoe that had rose out of the ashes like a phoenix, not only was it a success, it was becoming so deep-rooted in the streets it wasn’t going to be going anyway again – ever!
For the whole essay go to http://bit.ly/fIAo0x
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