TEAM AIR FORCE 1 VOL. 6 AKA STOP PM'ING US

[miguelone]

Damn that's a super nice score, what size?

 

[kimchi]

 
Damn that's a super nice score, what size?

Thanks. They're a size 10. I really wish they were 10.5 /11 but i cant complain. I used the sauce on the midsoles and got great results.

 

[ruffin51]

I always thought it was wild how there was a smooth leather and tumbled leather version of the boulders. Bip's look to be smooth, and mine are tumbled.

 

[miguelone]

I always thought it was wild how there was a smooth leather and tumbled leather version of the boulders. Bip's look to be smooth, and mine are tumbled.

There is? Mine are smooth too. I'd love to see the tumbled ones.

 

[airforceone]

For some of you smaller size feet force heads

http://www.ebay.com/itm/used-1997-n...590?pt=US_Childrens_Shoes&hash=item4aa37462d6

 

[ruffin51]

Old pic but here are the tumbled boulders

 

[miguelone]

D: Crazy!

 

[1nedeep]

good lord @ those jewel lows for 30 n they look great! #props

the leather on those tumbled boulders is drool worthy

 

[mints]

Picked these up at a vintage shop for $30 

Every time I see a picture of a jewel low from back in the day, I get heated wondering why Nike didn't mix up the jewels with the releases a few years back. I wonder how hard it'd be to open the shoe up and swap the jewels.

 

[stuntman mike]

1990. blue upper. white nike air on heel. despite being beat, the leather is still very nice.
even in this condition, the shape is still somewhat intact. a far cry from the frankenstein boot they use nowadays.

 

[bip roberts]

Picked these up at a vintage shop for $30 

Very nice find! That's possibly my favorite jewel low. ...At least if you would go by frequency of wear.

Every time I see a picture of a jewel low from back in the day, I get heated wondering why Nike didn't mix up the jewels with the releases a few years back. I wonder how hard it'd be to open the shoe up and swap the jewels.

I've thought about this too. You know what would have been amazing, is if there was some kind of cut out in the jewel and then colored plates you could slide in to mix and match the colors - sort of like the way they did the straps on the air adjust force.

1990. blue upper. white nike air on heel. despite being beat, the leather is still very nice.
even in this condition, the shape is still somewhat intact. a far cry from the frankenstein boot they use nowadays.

Very nice pair. I think Nadel has a pair in really condition. I've never touched this pair, and I don't think I've ever seen a pair in good condition available, despite having the chance to own a few beat pairs.

Old pic but here are the tumbled boulders

Have you ever seen the tag on that pair? I've seen that too, but I have a hunch that they may be samples. I actually remember these back in '93. I remember that they were even on shelves at mom and pops more than a year after release - into '95 in my area, easy. So, I saw lots of pairs in person. I never saw (or at least don't recall seeing) and pebbled leather pairs until many years later when I started mining the internet for reference pics.

 

[mints]

I've thought about this too. You know what would have been amazing, is if there was some kind of cut out in the jewel and then colored plates you could slide in to mix and match the colors - sort of like the way they did the straps on the air adjust force.

I want to say at some point in the early 90s Nike had a cheerleading shoe that had plastic inserts that could be replaced, they sold the shoe as a solid white and it came with about 10 colors to insert for the swoosh to give a cheerleading squad a uniform look.

It wouldn't have been too difficult to revisit that tech. I know I'd have gone ape over some White/White/Gum with personally customizable jewel swooshes. Hell they should have made that an iD option that year since factories were already tooled up to make jewels.

 

[ruffin51]

Bip, I own them so I could get a tag pic if need be...they are size 12 so not samples. I know it is boulder/boulderblack.

Mints -- can't remember if they were Nikes or not but I remember what you are talking about from Eastbay -- the colors all came on a keychain!

 

[mints]

Yeah I may be misremembering who made them, but it was definitely available through Eastbay.

 

[bip roberts]

I want to say at some point in the early 90s Nike had a cheerleading shoe that had plastic inserts that could be replaced, they sold the shoe as a solid white and it came with about 10 colors to insert for the swoosh to give a cheerleading squad a uniform look.

It wouldn't have been too difficult to revisit that tech. I know I'd have gone ape over some White/White/Gum with personally customizable jewel swooshes. Hell they should have made that an iD option that year since factories were already tooled up to make jewels.

Agreed. They brought out so many other funky options last year - only some of which were a hit - that they could have easily devoted one month to jewels. I think those would have done well actually, since so many of the faux OGs at least pay lip service to loving jewels, though they didn't buy them when they re-released.

The funny thing about jewels is that they weren't received all that well when they dropped. Personally, I thought it was cool for a few pairs as a novelty, but was a step back if it was going to become the dominant AF1 design, which it did for a few years. A lot of heads who didn't actually live through that era sort of jock jewels (I have my theory on that in a second). For me, as I said, I didn't hate them but I liked the classic design better. And, I think that's still true today. I've embraced more jewels than I did in real time, largely because in the larger sea of all AF1s, the variety is appreciated in a way it wasn't when jewels were dominating releases. Other good thing about jewels is that they kept the colorblocking pretty simple, so there were plenty of well done, simple colorways with good shape and materials. There were even certain great colorways that I don't recall ever getting a non-jewel style release - Halloweens, Goldenrod base, white swoosh, of the top of my head.

But, here's my theory on the halfway thugs and their love for jewels. ...It's too much work for somebody looking to pose to have to actually learn the depth of history of the AF1. So, if they just want to pull their lowest common denominator pretentiousness, they'll refer to the jewels because they were only made over a certain period of time and they know that. Meanwhile, to discern between a 2004 and 1999 pair of the same colorway just by sight, that requires a much higher level of knowledge and detail.

It's the same thing that causes "PE" collectors to go crazy pseudo PEs that are actually fairly common, and eschew smaller release pairs that are actually much rarer. They're too rare - the average dope doesn't know. Everything is about being shorthand for why you're the man. Nobody wants to have to actually explain why a pair of Glassjaw Blazers craps all over some Lebron Championship pack, and nobody wants to have to explain to a 16 year-old what's so special about a random pair of 1994 low top Air Force 1s in a colorway that's similar to the one that is sitting for 49.99 at his local Foot Locker.

Bip, I own them so I could get a tag pic if need be...they are size 12 so not samples. I know it is boulder/boulderblack.

Mints -- can't remember if they were Nikes or not but I remember what you are talking about from Eastbay -- the colors all came on a keychain!

Well, then that shuts the door on my idea. I've still never seen a pair in person though and I've seen a lot of smooth leather pairs. ...Maybe it was kind of regional too. Who knows. But, these types of mysteries are what make AF1s the best model to collect.

Remember the cheerleading shoes too. Don't recall the brand, but I'm leaning toward agreeing with you. They would have all that sort of "house brand" cheerleading stuff together in that set of two pages or whatever.

 

[jayrockslo]

BIP dropping jewels on jewels!

yeah there were chearleading shoes back in the day that you were able to flip the color using a disc insert. eastbay used to have a whole page or two showcasing this, the exact shoe brand escapes my mind at the moment though.

 

[mints]

Thanks for the info on jewels. I don't even remember seeing AF1s until that stupid song came out. Maybe because a lot of people are broke here, but when I was in High School and the jewels were actually coming out in New Orleans, Reebok Classics were king.

The meanest shoe you could have was a Reebok Classic with an iced out ripple sole.

 

[ruffin51]

mints those Reeboks were dumb hot around that time, I would still love to own a pair (never did).

My first pair of jewels were the black/carolina blue around 1997. I loved jewels from the start and they are a huge focus of my collection today, but I was young back then (around 11 years old).

Bip, do these match up? Notice that mine have a swoosh on the heel tab and yours don't, plus the tumbled vs smooth leather...

And since I had to dig in the closet anyway

 

[mints]

NOT AF1 related, but after a few hours of googling I finally found what I was thinking about, I don't think these are the first version, but it was definitely a Nike shoe

They even have a TPU Swoosh so this could have easily been done with AF1s.

 

[1nedeep]

Agreed. They brought out so many other funky options last year - only some of which were a hit - that they could have easily devoted one month to jewels. I think those would have done well actually, since so many of the faux OGs at least pay lip service to loving jewels, though they didn't buy them when they re-released.

The funny thing about jewels is that they weren't received all that well when they dropped. Personally, I thought it was cool for a few pairs as a novelty, but was a step back if it was going to become the dominant AF1 design, which it did for a few years. A lot of heads who didn't actually live through that era sort of jock jewels (I have my theory on that in a second). For me, as I said, I didn't hate them but I liked the classic design better. And, I think that's still true today. I've embraced more jewels than I did in real time, largely because in the larger sea of all AF1s, the variety is appreciated in a way it wasn't when jewels were dominating releases. Other good thing about jewels is that they kept the colorblocking pretty simple, so there were plenty of well done, simple colorways with good shape and materials. There were even certain great colorways that I don't recall ever getting a non-jewel style release - Halloweens, Goldenrod base, white swoosh, of the top of my head.

But, here's my theory on the halfway thugs and their love for jewels. ...It's too much work for somebody looking to pose to have to actually learn the depth of history of the AF1. So, if they just want to pull their lowest common denominator pretentiousness, they'll refer to the jewels because they were only made over a certain period of time and they know that. Meanwhile, to discern between a 2004 and 1999 pair of the same colorway just by sight, that requires a much higher level of knowledge and detail.

It's the same thing that causes "PE" collectors to go crazy pseudo PEs that are actually fairly common, and eschew smaller release pairs that are actually much rarer. They're too rare - the average dope doesn't know. Everything is about being shorthand for why you're the man. Nobody wants to have to actually explain why a pair of Glassjaw Blazers craps all over some Lebron Championship pack, and nobody wants to have to explain to a 16 year-old what's so special about a random pair of 1994 low top Air Force 1s in a colorway that's similar to the one that is sitting for 49.99 at his local Foot Locker.
Well, then that shuts the door on my idea. I've still never seen a pair in person though and I've seen a lot of smooth leather pairs. ...Maybe it was kind of regional too. Who knows. But, these types of mysteries are what make AF1s the best model to collect.

Remember the cheerleading shoes too. Don't recall the brand, but I'm leaning toward agreeing with you. They would have all that sort of "house brand" cheerleading stuff together in that set of two pages or whatever.

when they came out with the 3 lows i got the reds and was disappointed. the leather wasnt bad...it just felt like a regular af1 cw with a jewel instead of a swoosh. the 2 pairs of mids didnt do it for me either hence me not copping. nike really does need to bring back jewels though. i mean they spend so much time n money into fuses n downtowns n other crap that usually just sits then hits outlets then sits more but completely neglect why af1s are still being bought! n not even just the jewels...the sc cws, the monotone cws with 1 color to set the whole thing off, co.jps, euros, jd sports. like ive said a looong time ago...imho nike just needs to stop releasing pairs n do like they did back in the 80s. put all their focus n effort into 1 pair a month...besides the annual pairs. 

n to add why non-knowledgeable heads love jewels...real eyes realize real lies

 

[1nedeep]

1990. blue upper. white nike air on heel. despite being beat, the leather is still very nice.
even in this condition, the shape is still somewhat intact. a far cry from the frankenstein boot they use nowadays.

damb...that swoosh...that leather...that cut! 

 

 

[1nedeep]

mints those Reeboks were dumb hot around that time, I would still love to own a pair (never did).

My first pair of jewels were the black/carolina blue around 1997. I loved jewels from the start and they are a huge focus of my collection today, but I was young back then (around 11 years old).

Bip, do these match up? Notice that mine have a swoosh on the heel tab and yours don't, plus the tumbled vs smooth leather...











And since I had to dig in the closet anyway

my size 

 love the way nike did the nike air on the tongue...ima guess 87?

 

[miguelone]

Looks like those Boulders are probably a re-release with pebbled leather. My smooth ones are 1 digit off on the style code(630034 222), have the pre barcode size tag and a 930911 production date so almost a full year before that pebbled pair.

 

[ruffin51]

So it sounds like there are two boulder/boulder/black highs! Although I prefer the old style heel tab, I'm big on tumbled leather so very happy to have this particular version.

1neDeep, the reds are from 1991, size 13. I wear that pair.

 

[bip roberts]

Thanks for the info on jewels. I don't even remember seeing AF1s until that stupid song came out. Maybe because a lot of people are broke here, but when I was in High School and the jewels were actually coming out in New Orleans, Reebok Classics were king.

The meanest shoe you could have was a Reebok Classic with an iced out ripple sole.

Those Reeboks got some play in NYC too. The two CWs that rose from the ranks of "decent mid-priced option" to living on their own merits against more expensive choices were the all black or all white with the gum sole. The gum sole was brolic and just popped. Before white on white AF1 mids monopolized the "summer shoe" market, the white gum sole Reebok mids were in the mix.

My first pair of jewels were the black/carolina blue around 1997. I loved jewels from the start and they are a huge focus of my collection today, but I was young back then (around 11 years old).

Bip, do these match up? Notice that mine have a swoosh on the heel tab and yours don't, plus the tumbled vs smooth leather...
p

NOT AF1 related, but after a few hours of googling I finally found what I was thinking about, I don't think these are the first version, but it was definitely a Nike shoe

They even have a TPU Swoosh so this could have easily been done with AF1s.

Dope white/reds. I think my first jewel were the '95 all black mids with the white and red NYC logo on the strap. I think those were '96. I have a sample pair with the normal swoosh, but I'm at the office now so I don't have access to my pics.

when they came out with the 3 lows i got the reds and was disappointed. the leather wasnt bad...it just felt like a regular af1 cw with a jewel instead of a swoosh. the 2 pairs of mids didnt do it for me either hence me not copping. nike really does need to bring back jewels though. i mean they spend so much time n money into fuses n downtowns n other crap that usually just sits then hits outlets then sits more but completely neglect why af1s are still being bought! n not even just the jewels...the sc cws, the monotone cws with 1 color to set the whole thing off, co.jps, euros, jd sports. like ive said a looong time ago...imho nike just needs to stop releasing pairs n do like they did back in the 80s. put all their focus n effort into 1 pair a month...besides the annual pairs. 

n to add why non-knowledgeable heads love jewels...real eyes realize real lies

As much as I support this with my heart, I doubt it would work when I think with my head. The good thing though is that, it is basically how I operate now. Aside from hunting old stuff (getting harder and harder), I would probably buy a single pair of IDs every month if I liked the options. ...Even just messing with the basics, you could probably make yourself a solid ID a month pretty easily for a while.

I think they're going (or already have) 3M options. Hopefully, I'll find something that I'll deem worth making. ...Although I also want to make a set of P-Wing AF1s matching the color palettes of the classic Polo joints and using the wing logo on the back tab.

So it sounds like there are two boulder/boulder/black highs! Although I prefer the old style heel tab, I'm big on tumbled leather so very happy to have this particular version.

1neDeep, the reds are from 1991, size 13. I wear that pair.

Mystery solved. My pair is likely the same as Miguel's. I'll check later, but it's definitely from '93, so I'll assume everything else is the same.

EDIT - Confirmed style code, etc. on my pair matches Miguel's.