The Nike Air Force 1 was designed by Bruce Kilgore in 1982.[5] The name is a reference to Air Force One, the plane that carries the President of the United States. Nike Air Force 1s were ubiquitous in Harlem, New York, giving rise to the nickname “Uptowns”.
The Air Force 1 began production in 1982 but was discontinued in 1984.[7] It was re-introduced in 1986 with the modern italic Nike logo with a “Swoosh” revenue on the bottom of the back of the shoe. Little has changed to the Air Force One since its creation in 1982, although the stitching on the side panels of earlier versions is no longer present. Since its creation over 1,700 color variations have been produced, bringing in an estimated annual revenue of US$800 million by 2007.