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The Nike Air Force 1 is forever a classic sneaker and a sneakerhead staple for collectors and fans of streetwear. Some even say the AF1 is the quintessential collectible sneaker. I’ve talked about the model multiple times on this website and have owned several pairs. Here’s my Air Force 1 review! My latest pickup is the Color of the Month pair in White and Forest Green.
I will update this article as I buy new pairs, scroll to individual reviews here.
Nike Air Force 1 History
The Air Force 1 first released in 1983. Air Force 1s improved upon existing basketball shoes by utilizing Nike Air technology in the midsole. It has become one of the most collected sneakers ever and one of Nike’s highest selling sneakers.
Upon the initial 1982 release of the model as a basketball shoe, Nike got 6 NBA stars of the time to promote the sneaker. Nike’s at-the-time new Air tech being hidden in the midsole in combination with the NBA player advertising campaign kick-started the sneaker’s popularity.
In Baltimore, trendy folks would constantly clamor for the next AF1 release, making the town a hotspot for early 80s sneakerheads. Being able to cop a fresh pair every time a new color came out, with limited availability saw the Air Force become linked with exclusivity.
The Air Force 1 Today
Collaborations with Travis Scott, UNDFTD, a Ma Maniere and others keep the sneaker on the frontlines of popularity. The AF1’s clout previously surged in the 2000s thanks to Nelly’s “Air Force Ones” song along with other celebrity endorsements.
Today as hundreds of thousands of pairs are churned out, the ability to have eye-catching palettes and limited versions keeps the sneaker a mainstay in the community. If you can’t get the collaborative pairs, you can at least get a colorway that suits you, provided it doesn’t sell out immediately. If all else fails, there’s always the trusty white/white pair that is consistently available.
Air Force 1 Materials
Air Force 1s use varying degrees of synthetic, genuine and recycled materials. Retail price level can indicate material composition.
example of a “General Release” or GR
In my experience, the worst quality leather comes from general release Air Force 1s. The most famous example is the classic “white on white” pair. All white AF1s are consistently available, currently at a retail price of $90.
If you hold a pair of general release AF1s in hand, the lack of quality is immediately apparent. The “leather” appears to be a thin, plasticky material. Held side by side with a garment made of genuine or full grain leather reveals an obvious difference. Occasionally, these pairs will even include a sticker on the insole mentioning synthetic materials in the uppers.
Once Air Force 1s get up around $120-140 retail, the odds that real leather is used at least somewhere in the upper go up.
A great example of this are the “Craft” Air Force 1s, which employ a soft, supple leather. This material typically has visible grain to it, unlike synthetics which at best might have a finish on them to simulate “grain”.
Searching the internet for information on this topic, a few sources on forums and sites like Reddit seem to confirm higher quality on pairs marked “premium”. It’s not a guarantee though, as often “premium” refers to the sneaker being a special release like a retro, collab, limited edition. Sometimes it just means extra details like embroidery or graphics on the sneaker.
Thus, the material quality and composition varies widely from release to release.
Nike Air Force 1 Sizing
The Air Force 1 fits true to size, on the large side. It has a roomier fit than many other Nikes, as well as a taller silhouette thanks to the chunky midsole.
Air Force 1 sizing can often throw off those that are used to wearing other Nikes. While getting your true size is a safe bet, the feel on foot between AF1s and other Nikes is quite different.
Generally speaking, most Nikes have a snug and somewhat narrow fit. While some releases are a bit more generous in width, the overall feel is still the same.
Meanwhile, the Air Force 1 has a roomier fit. This can feel loose on some people’s feet at true to size. Generally, I like to go either true to size or a half size down on Air Force 1s.
You can look up Nike’s official size chart here. You can also use my size converter here.
The Air Unit helps alleviate the weight slightly, but overall the AF1 has a slightly “chunky” feel and can add a little bit of height thanks to the tall midsole. This doesn’t throw off the comfort, but is an interesting feeling vs other more lower profile kicks.
Where To Cop Nike Air Force 1s?
You can find Air Force 1s on plenty of sneaker sites. Of course they can be found on Nike’s website, but you can also get them at sneaker boutiques, shoe stores and aftermarket sites.
Nike Air Force 1 Reviews
I have reviewed the Air Force several times, here are the articles on this site about AF1 that I wrote previous to this one. My latest general release pickups are down below starting from most recent.
Nike Air Force 1 Color of the Month Review (Forest Green)
Forest Green
Colorway: White / Forest Green – Gum Yellow
Style Code: FD7039-101
Year of Release: 2023
MSRP: $150
Buy: eBay
Once again it’s on! Here’s to adding the fifth pair of the “Color of the Month” series to my collection! Check out the inspiration behind the COTM series in my review on the white/pink colorway down below.
This pair came with no toothbrush, hangtag or special paper, just the early-mid 2000s retro Nike box with the orange and cardboard color scheme. So Nike is really slimming down on the COTM extras vs previous releases with this one and just giving us new colorways.
The material quality is definitely nice on these, so they definitely fit in with the rest of the pack as far as leather goes. I’d been eyeing this pair, and knowing how dope the color of the month line is, I knew I had to get a pair of this colorway as soon as I found a sale!
Nike Air Force 1 Color of the Month Review (University Red)
University Red
Colorway: University Red / White
Style Code: FD7039-600
Year of Release: 2023
MSRP: $150
Buy: eBay
Back with now the 4th pair of the “Color of the Month” series for my collection! Check out the inspiration behind the COTM series in my review on the white/pink colorway down below.
But IS this a Color of the Month shoe? According to the internet, yes. But the sneaker doesn’t come with the typical COTM extras. For example, my pair had no toothbrush, no hangtag and no special paper. I’m not sure if this is because I bought them on super duper sale from Nike’s website. They do however include both red and white sets of laces and come in an old-school early-mid 2000s looking Nike box with the orange and cardboard color scheme.
The shape and material quality is on par with other releases in the line, and the original price of $150 matches as well (I got my pair for over half off). At this point this is more of a binge cop because I like the Color of the Month series, and the red here is really sharp!
Nike Air Force 1 Color of the Month Review (Safety Orange)
Safety Orange
Colorway: Safety Orange / Summit White
Style Code: FJ1044-800
Year of Release: 2023
MSRP: $150
Buy: eBay
Back with the THIRD pair of the “Color of the Month” series for my collection! I describe how these represent a big piece of Air Force 1 history in my review on the white/pink colorway down below.
This pair helps me get a jewel swoosh Nike back into the fold, my first since the Dusty Rose Air Max 1s. Otherwise, the sneaker is relatively plain on details other than the swoosh above the toebox. These ship in one of those old school black boxes with the cardboard colored lid and red trim. They come with the COTM toothbrush and special shoebox paper. We don’t get the special hangtag with these, but we get some spare white laces.
Speaking of the laces, both sets have a slightly softer texture than a normal Air Force 1 lace. It’s tough to put my finger on exactly what the difference is, but there is a slight difference in how the laces look.
Besides ticking off the “jewel swoosh” checkbox for the collection, I also get a nice bright orange shoe. I haven’t had a shoe like that in the collection for a while! Apparently, there is an older retro that these are somewhat based on, but the older version has a softer, less bright orange tone. I personally dig the vibrant Safety Orange on this pair.
While the leather is nothing mind blowing, it is nice and soft. These color of the month releases seem to get it right on the texture; no fake tumble! It seems like the result is less aggressive creasing. Typically for me, AF1s crease right out of the box within a few seconds of wearing. On the COTM releases, the creasing is not as extreme or rapid as a more basic Air Force 1 release. That same soft leather contributes to a very comfortable shoe!
Nike Air Force 1 Color of the Month Review (White/Silver)
White/Silver
Colorway: White / Metallic Silver
Style Code: DZ6755-100
Year of Release: 2022
MSRP: $150
Buy: eBay
This is my second pair of the “Color of the Month” series. See the review on the white/pink colorway below this one to learn about the theme and references behind the series. Overall, the Colors of the Month represent the very history of the AF1 itself!
Like the pink/white pair, the sneaker is relatively plain on details other than the gold “Anniversary Edition” embroidered on the tongue tag and embroidered swoosh just above the toebox. Instead of shipping in a retro-looking Nike box this time, my pair came in a regular orange Nike Sportswear box. To be fair, I did get my pair on sale several months after release. They still include the “Since 1982” toothbrush, detailed hangtag and special shoebox paper that the other pairs include.
This was the other colorway of these that I was considering besides the pink-swooshed pair. Part of that is the easy, clean wearability of the mostly white upper with grey accents combined with the flair of the silver swoosh. It’s a great look!
This is not the only reason I like these though. Nostalgia also plays a role, as these greatly remind me of the white/pewter pair of Forces I had back in the day. The outsole is a bit more metallic-looking and the swoosh is a 3M-like reflective material on the Pewters. My pair was a bit on the big side though, so I eventually sold them. I always missed that pair, so I’m stoked to have something with a similar look again, but with the slightly nicer quality and extras.
Nike Air Force 1 Color of the Month Review (White/Pink)
Colorway: White / Pink / Gum Yellow
Style Code: DM0576-101
Year of Release: 2022
MSRP: $150
Buy: eBay
The ‘Color of the Month’ series started rolling out in 2022 and contains several pairs of Air Force 1s. Thematically, the series references when a group of Baltimore retailers released their own custom colorways on a monthly basis in 1984. This helped spur on the rise of the AF1 as a collectible!
The sneaker is relatively plain on details other than the gold “Anniversary Edition” embroidered on the tongue tag and embroidered swoosh just above the toebox. These ship in a “retro” orange/brown Nike box reminiscent of some other pairs I have from the early 2000s. They include a toothbrush that says “Since 1982” (to keep the shoes clean, obviously). Other extras include a hangtag with some details about the AF1’s tech and a special print of a basketball court in the middle of the water with an Air Force 1 outsole hovering above on the shoebox paper.
I had my eyes on this pair for a while, as I like the simple, clean colorways of the color of the month series, and I find the pink accents with the gum outsole make for a future classic! The shoe fits basically like a standard AF1, and I find the materials to be better than the lowest plasticky leather level of releases, but nothing special either. Not terrible, but not mind-blowing. Still, the overall quality is nice for a pair of Air Force 1s.
Nike Air Force 1 White & Midnight Navy
Colorway: White / Midnight Navy
Style Code: CJ1607 100
Year of Release: 2020
MSRP: $90
Buy: eBay