The term ‘Air Force One’ might, for some, call to mind an image of the US President’s official plane – but Nike fans will know that it is, in fact, the name of the brand’s iconic trainer model, created by renowned designer Brian Kilgore.
Originally released back in 1982 at a time when its cool, clean look saw it quickly become a street culture classic, its extraordinary success over the years since has seen Air Force Ones become a wardrobe essential for people of all walks of life, and fashion enthusiasts readily recognise the style as one of the greatest designs of all time.
In 2022, demand remains as high as ever, with original models fetching some eye-watering prices. In June, New York auctioneer Sotheby’s hosted a ‘40 for 40’ sale to mark the model’s 40th birthday – and some of them sold for incredible amounts.
Here are five of the biggest sellers from the auction, and for collectors to keep an eye out for.
Nike x Louis Vuitton Air Force 1 – $150,000
Nike has famously joined forces with a whole host of brands and celebrities over the years to create unique and iconic iterations of its Air Force Ones, working with everyone from sports stars like Michael Jordan to initiating a collaboration with Netflix for its hit show Stranger Things.
Perhaps one of its most opulent designs to date came of its collaboration with luxury fashion house, Louis Vuitton – resulting in a highly sought-after pair that many would have to rely on matching the winning lottery numbers to afford. But for wealthy fans and collectors who saw them not just as a great pair of shoes, but a savvy investment for the future, the competition to snap them up was fierce, and thanks to the late Vuitton designer Virgil Abloh’s deft hand, sold for an impressive $150,000.
Would you wear a pair of sneakers that costs as much as a Ferrari? Each wear would surely knock thousands off their value – so keeping them safely boxed is the particular buyer’s best bet.
Nike x Off-White Air Force 1 ‘University Gold’ – $35,280
The legendary Abloh was once again the creative behind Nike’s popular off-white ‘University Gold’ Air Force Ones – a model famous thanks to its association with the famous US DJ Bobbito Garcia, the man who helped promote artists like Nas, Eminem, and Jay-Z through his radio show. Garcia frequently wore the trainers throughout the 90s, helping to cement them as a major symbol of New York street-cred at the time.
The trainer was also a focal point of Abloh’s ‘high-art’ exhibition at the Boston Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA). The success of the show garnered national attention, to the point that the shoes have since become known as part of the ICA – no small feat for a pair of shoes.
It’s perhaps unsurprising, then, that they fetched more than $35,000 at the Sotheby’s auction, which, although less than a quarter of the final selling price of the top selling pair of Nike Air Force Ones, is still a very impressive sum indeed.
Nike Air Force One Low-Lux Alligator – $35,280
The most bizarre Air Force One creation – the Low-Lux Alligator – attracted the same price as the ‘University Gold’ pair.
So-called because of the somewhat controversial use of alligator skin in their design, this unusual pair certainly wasn’t for everyone, appearing in the early 2000s at a time before major fashion brands finally agreed to stop using rare animal skins in their products.
Nike only made 25 pairs – a fact that inevitably drives up the value of any sought-after product – and there was still enough interest at auction despite the fact that these days, animal rights are a key consideration for the discerning affluent buyer.
Nike Air Force One Low Retro Ekin Sample – $21,420
Fans of wordplay perhaps won’t be too impressed by how this pair got its name. ‘Ekin’ is simply ‘Nike’ spelled backwards, in case you hadn’t already noticed.
Sotheby’s attempted to add depth to this name by declaring the model “symbolic of the ‘backwards and forwards’ product knowledge of Nike employees,” which came after a trend where staff got tattoos bearing the reverse Nike logo swept the company.
The Ekin model, dedicated to Nike employees upon its launch, has an attractive design consisting of the orange ‘swoosh’ on a bright white background. When released in 2019, it came with quotes such as ‘E4L’ attached to it, representing Nike employees’ dedication to the company.
A price tag of over $21,000 suggests the buyer of this pair is as dedicated to Nike as anyone.
Nike Air Force One Shady Records – $21,420
As the name suggests, this pair is synonymous with iconic US rapper Eminem, who routinely wore Nikes during his rise to mainstream fame.
The model was released in 2003 to coincide with the star’s fifth album, Encore, and resembles the hip-hop look of that time. The design is a brilliant white, with the ‘Shady’ logo looking distinctive in black lettering on the shoe’s tongue and heel.
The high sale price achieved at auction was again driven by the scarcity of the model. Only a small circle of people around Eminem were able to obtain a pair following their launch, and there was never a general release, which means they have always been like gold dust. A price tag of over $21,000 reflects just how highly sought after they are, particularly amongst hip-hop fans and collectors.