Who designed Nike’s original Air Force 1 basketball shoe?

Bruce Kilgore designed Nike’s original Air Force 1 basketball shoe.

Kilgore created the model for Nike’s basketball line, and the shoe debuted in 1982. It incorporated Nike Air cushioning and used a high-top shape with an ankle strap to support players on the court.

The design was named after Air Force One, the aircraft associated with the president of the United States. That name helped give the shoe a distinctive identity, but its original purpose was athletic performance rather than fashion.

The Air Force 1 later became especially influential in streetwear and music culture. Its popularity outside basketball helped turn it into one of Nike’s best-known lifestyle products. Bruce Kilgore’s role is sometimes mixed up with Tinker Hatfield’s work on Air Max and Air Jordan models, but Kilgore is the designer credited with the original Air Force 1.