The Air Force 1 High was not only a staple on the basketball court, but as Nike was ready to move on from the sneaker, several Baltimore-area retailers came in and let Nike know that there was a demand for the shoe outside of basketball-related activities. As the first 1200 pairs flew off their shelves, Paul Blinken of Cinderella Shoes and the buyers from two other Baltimore footwear stores asked Nike for a new colorway each month. The first 1200 pairs were a colorway similar to the one released here, with the only true difference being the color of the outsole. So, for 40 years of the Air Force 1, Nike pays homage to the colorway that saved the Air Force 1 with this sail and blue jay blue colorway.
The sail upper is comprised of tumbled leather, with smoother leather for the eyestays. Blue Jay is used for the mini Swoosh on the lateral side of the toe rand overlay panel and for the larger smooth leather Swoosh that runs from the quarter panel into the heel. Debossed on the lateral side of the heel is “40” bookended by four debossed stars, two on each side of the number. The gold dubrae features “AF-1 ‘82" on it, neatly placed at the first line of the shoelace. The sail shoelaces make their way up the sail tongue, into a custom, celebratory tongue tag. The blue jay strap is complemented by the “Air” branding on the midsole, with a white midsole and outsole to complete the look of the shoe.
The Nike Air Force 1 High 40th Anniversary Sail Blue Jay W is set to release on October 13th, 2022. The sneakers will release on Nike and at select Nike Sportswear retailers in women’s sizing for a retail price of $135. Keep it locked to our Twitter andMobile App to stay up to date on future releases. For a full breakdown on the Nike Air Force 1 as a whole, its history, and more, check out our Nike Air Force 1 Buyers Guide!
Nike Air Force 1 High SE 40th Anniversary "Sail Blue Jay" (W)
Images via Nike
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Jonathan Paek is a writer on sneaker releases and news for Sole Retriever. Catch Jonathan's latest articles here!
