crooked tongues magazine News Features

Still a shoe that's downright presidential, not even the rise of tight denim will dead the Nike Air Force 1. Why? Because it's a cornerstone of US collector culture. It's the same reason that a well made pair of adidas Forest Hills can't fade away either - it has foundations. It might also be the reason that the Dunk took such a plunge post 2007 — it doesn't have the sub-cultural roots beyond The Mix Crew's album and a dull 1987 Grandmaster Flash release. In comparison, the AF1 is a superstar. Looking around you, bar a rush to pick up pieces like the Pearl Collection 30th anniversary camo colourways, the Uptown seems to have lost its share of the marketplace to Supra, AM1s and Vans. But the statistics say otherwise — all blacks and white on whites are still Nike's bestselling shoes and we guarantee they'll surge in popularity again in the hype market — in fact, we know there's some projects ahead that will drive that comeback.

In the meantime, these Lows are some of the best in a long time, mixing a denim-style canvas with leather and pop colours on those swooshes that bring back the aura that made us fall in love with this shoe in the first place. Storm Blue and Vivid Orange is a superior colourway, but Jersey Gold and Sport Red gets it very right too, even if the latter's heel tab throws the shoe's symmetry a little. Extra points to the designers for the white soles and lack of nasty accent stitches too. These are on sale in the Crooked Tongues store right now...