Nike

Nike’s 1World series first began in 2008 to re-imagine the AF1 through global collaborations with renowned innovators in the fields of sports, music, art and design. The project involved 18 creatives from around the world, who each designed a pair of Air Force 1s.

The artist Kaws designed a simple yet visually striking update to the classic silhouette. Featuring the signature 'XX' stitching and coordinating neon details throughout, this model is widely considered to be one of the top AF1 designs by collectors.

Born Brian Donnelly in 1974 in New Jersey, Kaws studied illustration at the School of Visual Arts in New York. After graduating, he worked briefly as a freelance illustrator on Disney’s 101 Dalmatians and the animated series Daria and Doug. He began using the name Kaws as a young graffiti artist in Jersey City. It was not until after he relocated to New York City in the 1990s that he began employing “subvertising,” a practice of parodying and spoofing corporate and political advertisements on billboards, phone booths, and bus shelters; his subvertising has appeared in cities around the world, including London, Paris, Berlin and Tokyo.