story

"We were instrumental in the phenomenon that went on to be the Air Force 1. And I'm not just saying that because I'm from here. We're here to talk about it. This is Colour of the Month".

"I'm Brian Nadav, owner and founder of Lapstone & Hammer here in Philly. Philly is a city of neighbourhoods. So it's a really diverse, melting pot".

"And I think it's the fabric of all of these neighbourhoods combined that make Philly so unique. I mean, anybody in Philly who is into sneakers would say that we had a lot to do with creating sneaker culture for what it is today".

"I grew up working in the family business called City Blue, working in sneaker shops my whole life. And seeing that half the wall was Air Force 1s. Seeing the same people coming in week after week to get a fresh pair".

"No matter how many we got, they were gone immediately. It was about having to be there in the stores and travelling. So we always saw people from New York. Crews coming up from Baltimore. This was the beginning of sneaker culture ..."

"Right? It was about that idea of the chase, the hunt, which is so near and dear to many of us who shopped for sneakers in the nineties. This programme, The Colour of the Month, was the genesis of all sneaker culture today".

"It was the first time that the streets told Nike what they wanted. It took off. These guys were blowing it out in Baltimore".

"Then Philly, we started getting our special makeups. Our colours. The guys in Baltimore knew Philly had different colours than they had. New York was getting their colours".

"I think it's really the simplicity of the Air Force 1. That number one makes it so unique and universal at the same time".

"What's up, y'all? My name is Ashley. I'm a full-time content creator. Born and raised in the Bronx, but currently residing in Philly. I relocated a little over a year ago".

"I've definitely noticed that the community here in terms of sneakers is very niche. The White on White Low gets a lot of love. I think it's almost a universal part of our uniform. Oh, absolutely. No matter where you're from".

"I like to dress mine up. I love to dress mine down. I've paired them with dresses before. Of course two-piece sets like this, trousers, cargos, you name it. I'm doing it. For me, growing up definitely was White on White Lows. Anything with a Gum bottom. Anything with the Icy bottom".

"Again, the White on White Low Top is just such a clean staple. I feel like you cannot go wrong with an Air Force 1 no matter how you're playing with it".

"It's the shape. It's the build. It's the panelling, the Swoosh, the sole, the midsole, outsole. Everything about it is just literally perfect".

"I think we're so lucky today to catch such a beautiful day. Thank you for coming out and meeting me here just to chat sneakers, specifically the Air Force 1. And it was a pleasure".

"What's up? What's up? How you are doing? Feeling good in the studio here. We in here".

"Hello. My name is Saeed Ferguson. I'm a designer and creative director for ALL CAPS STUDIO. As a kid, I didn't really care too much about what I wore. But my dad was always just trying to get my style up and, 'Wear this, wear this. I'm going to give you this. I'm going to give you that'".

"So he gave me my first pair of Air Force 1s and I wore to them to school the next day. And just wore them for every day for a year straight. All White, all White Lows. Had to be. And it's cool to see how the Air Force 1s has expanded and seen differently as culture continues".

"I think the one common thing is that everybody can rock a pair of Air Force 1s easily with whatever 'fit they have going on.
Yeah. The artist collaboration with the Air Force 1s has been super inspiring actually".

"Just to see the different ways to use colour, materials and there's different ways of just thinking about design. From deconstructing it to adding new materials, to adding new elements to it. It is endless. I mean, it's such an iconic shape. It's just legendary".

"Legendary. Super excited to see what Nike's going to cook up for this next Colour of the Month Programme. Me too. I appreciate you having us here in the studio. Thank you. Keep killing it, man. Of course. Thank you for having me. I appreciate it".

Air Force 1 Colour of the Month: Philadelphia