AIR FORCE 1 JUST DON
BEHIND THE DESIGN
A good set of principles can go a long way. For designer Don C, the principles he lives by shine through in everything he does, from raising his family to his new AF-100 design. “I always tell people that situations change, but principles remain the same. I could be over here, I could be over there, but I'll still do the same thing. I'm still polite to people, I’m still respectful, I still work hard, I still hustle. So, wherever I'm at, I just do that and the product is gonna be dope.”
Hailing from Chicago, Don’s love for the AF-1 began at a young age at Kenwood Academy High School. Like many first-love stories, Don saw some AF-1s on a peer’s feet and the rest was history. “Man, I have to give credit to one of my homeboys, this dude named Dave Jeff. He's one of my close friends from the city, and he was a dude that had AF-1s and I used to envy him.”
For his evolved design, Don started with a focus on the importance of family, bringing together a fusion of the Air Force 1, the Air Force II and the Air Force III – three staple models in the family of Force. “That's part of the storytelling behind this product. The Air Force 1 birthing the family of Force, so this is respecting the OG, the Air Force 1, the grandfather. He's like the Ol’ Papa at the grand family reunion and birthed its children in the AF-II and AF-III.”
Don’s “Family of Force” vision comes full circle with elements from each model coming together throughout the upper. At the toe, the design nods to the Air Force 1, while the eyestay and midfoot panels nod to the Air Force III. At the heel is the Air Force II’s iconic TPU paneling. At the tongue, his idea of family is once again on full display with the Air Force III’s iconic FORCE logo used.
The logo play doesn’t end there. For Don, Nike’s ‘Just Do It’ tagline is very important. Relating to it at a young age, he’d make his own version of it any chance he got, turning it into his own ‘Just Do(n) It’ logo. “It's so real, I can't believe it. I always been playing with the moniker like ‘Just Don It.’ I just put it in on tees and stickers and stuff. I've been loving the Swoosh forever.” Now officially working on a Nike shoe, Don wasted no time adding his Just Don x Swoosh logo to the heel.
Most importantly, Don made sure he had references back to his own Just Don line and the elements that made his pieces unique. It began with the addition of snakeskin/python detailing, something seen plenty in his Just Don Luxury Sportswear headwear pieces. Adding a nice touch of luxury, the design’s Swoosh and collar strap are covered in a beautiful snakeskin embossed finish. The snakeskin imprint is also a nod to the “Buck 50” hats that first inspired his Just Don caps. Capping it off, “Hood Regal-ness” comes to life with the addition of gold finished dubraes and upper eyelets.
Outfitted completely in white, Don C’s AF-100 design represents the entire family of Force in its most iconic color scheme ever. Leaving no icon behind, Don C’s version of the classic is a true celebration of 35 years of Force.
