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BEHIND THE DESIGN
AIR FORCE 1 LOW OFF-WHITE
Virgil Abloh’s aesthetic is the ultimate bridge between creative process and final product. Now the mind behind OFF-WHITE adds another layer of nuance to the storied Air Force 1 with his DIY approach. For Abloh, this methodology is a never-ending journey of editing that gives the world a first-hand look at the process of design.
Last year, he introduced a new take on the Air Force 1, which was a classic black AF-1 Low done up by Abloh and Nike’s Matt Kilgore, son of original AF-1 designer Bruce Kilgore. Since then, he’s followed that design with a variety of Nike icons in The Ten Collection. The latest for Abloh is his AF-100, a new flip on the AF-1 Low he first introduced in 2016. Before adding this chapter to the 1982 Nike Air basketball shoe’s legacy, Abloh had a very specific understanding of what his approach would be. “Because these are Nike shoes, they have already maximized function. I'm more interested in having a dialogue with perception of the icon,” he says. “I'm not Bruce Kilgore, but that's the first phase, to understand that I'm not redesigning the shoe. I'm just stylizing it and presenting it back.”
Last year, he introduced a new take on the Air Force 1, which was a classic black AF-1 Low done up by Abloh and Nike’s Matt Kilgore, son of original AF-1 designer Bruce Kilgore. Since then, he’s followed that design with a variety of Nike icons in The Ten Collection. The latest for Abloh is his AF-100, a new flip on the AF-1 Low he first introduced in 2016. Before adding this chapter to the 1982 Nike Air basketball shoe’s legacy, Abloh had a very specific understanding of what his approach would be. “Because these are Nike shoes, they have already maximized function. I'm more interested in having a dialogue with perception of the icon,” he says. “I'm not Bruce Kilgore, but that's the first phase, to understand that I'm not redesigning the shoe. I'm just stylizing it and presenting it back.”
His version of the icon pays homage to the white-on-white AF-1 while editing more than just the shoe’s color. “It's a play with light,” he reveals. “I'm not interested in color cause it's just my sensibility. It's 2017 and I've seen every colorway of a Nike shoe humanly possible. Not to say that there's anything wrong with that, but my approach as a designer of ready-made objects is to find new space, and that new space is playing with light, not color.”
Abloh’s play with light comes to life most vividly via a shining metallic Swoosh. The shoe’s tongue furthers his signature DIY, transparent aesthetic with exposed inner foam and a logo tab moved off to the side. Elements like the exposed tongue and moved logo tab are slight alterations that respect the shoe’s timeless design.
Abloh’s play with light comes to life most vividly via a shining metallic Swoosh. The shoe’s tongue furthers his signature DIY, transparent aesthetic with exposed inner foam and a logo tab moved off to the side. Elements like the exposed tongue and moved logo tab are slight alterations that respect the shoe’s timeless design.
“My whole reason for doing that is that it makes you look twice and appreciate the design. I have a 3% rule. Not changing something more than 3% allows you to appreciate what it is without distracting and making it something else. I find that 3% rule is something that gives me happiness. If it gets to like 10%, it's a different shoe.”
Ultimately, the 3% rule kept Abloh honest while resulting in a new interpretation of the AF-1’s established aesthetic, which raises the bar for AF-1 collaborators going forward.
Ultimately, the 3% rule kept Abloh honest while resulting in a new interpretation of the AF-1’s established aesthetic, which raises the bar for AF-1 collaborators going forward.