Jovani Hernandez Nike’s Air Force 1 needs no introduction, but JD Sports recently helped centralize 40 years of history across three of its stores in New York City.
Titled “Full Force,” the retailer’s exhibit brought over 25 special pairs directly from the Department of Nike Archives in Oregon, a once-mythical wing of the Swoosh that’s dedicated to storing and preserving every item ever produced by the company. Robert “Robbie” Williams, Senior Curator Footwear & Sneaker Culture DNA, shared with Sneaker News at a media event on Thursday that Nike’s “Hit & Misses” initiative became a full-fledged department around 2008 as the Swoosh realized it had countless stories to tell. In recent memory, the Beaverton, Ore. conglomerate has used social channels to disseminate some narratives, but “Full Force” marks the first time in its 59-year history that it displays archival Air Force 1s at a partner location.
According to LaShãda DiCosmo, Head of Partner Marketing for Nike, North America, the move to power “Full Force” demonstrates the company’s commitment to partners like JD Sports. The United Kingdom-founded retailer works with Nike to tap into the lifestyle side of products, serving as the perfect collaborator for an interactive space dedicated to the Air Force 1. The three-day display arrives off the heels of the Swoosh’s World Basketball Festival at Lincoln Center. Both initiatives highlight the sneaker’s sports origins, but “Full Force” exhibits across Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx dive into the design’s impact on and relationship with fashion, art, and music.
Some of the exclusive pairs on display at include: white-and-red Terror Squad Air Force 1s prepped for Fat Joe, a green Louis Vuitton pair by Off-White, and a Puerto Rico AF-1 from 2001. An original high-top from 1982 designed by Bruce Kilgore is also on display in Manhattan. Art by Amika Cooper, Flo Ngala, and Malik Roberts rounds out the exhibit.
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- “Full Force” by JD Sports and Nike. Nike
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- “Full Force” by JD Sports and Nike. Nike
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- “Full Force” by JD Sports and Nike. Nike
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- Original Nike Air Force 1 (1982). Nike
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- Nike Air Force 1 PRM “Harlem” (2005). Nike
“Full Force” will be on display at JD Sports Fulton Street today from 3pm to 8pm EDT. Andy Martinez will host a customization pop-up for customers who purchase pairs of the white-on-white Air Force 1. JD Sports Westchester Avenue in the Bronx will focus on the sneaker’s connection to hip-hop tomorrow, November 11th, from 12pm to 6pm.
For more from the Swoosh empire, check out the Air Jordan 11 “Gratitude” releasing in early December.
