The Air Force One sneaker is not just a sneaker. The Air Force One sneaker is far beyond its look. The Air Force One has a deep meaning. The Air Force One sneaker tells stories on many topics from communities, to music, also to consumption. I wear this Air Force One sneaker. A person can learn a lot about me by looking at my sneakers. The factors a person can tell by looking at my sneakers are the music I prefer, the type neighborhood I grew up in, my personal style, and also my consumption habit. A negative is that a sneaker a person is wear may not always tell you about the person wearing it. A person may not always be associated with the factors a sneaker tells but the sneaker tells about the majority of the people who wear it not all of the people who wear it. I can just buy any sneaker that cost less or is more comfortable but I specifically choose the Air Force One. Put all the factor together and it will answer why I choose the Air Force One sneaker. My may find out a little about me and what kind of person I am by looking deeply into my Air Force Ones.
In my Air Force Ones
A cultural artifact is something that speaks to the community in which a person is from. My cultural artifact is the Nike Air Force One sneaker. There are many different types of sneakers in which people wear for different types of reasons. The type of music you listen to, location or the neighborhood you live in, price range and name brand of the sneaker, purpose of the sneaker, and also your personal style are some of the factors people face when they choose what type of sneaker they wear.
In 1982, Nike released the Air Force Ones, a basketball shoe. The Air Force One sneaker was popular in basketball when they came out. NBA professionals like Moses Malone and Michael Cooper where endorsing them and wearing them during games. By wearing the Air Force One sneaker during basketball games they were advertising it. According to "The Nike Air Force 1 Sneaker Turns 25 Years Old - New York Times.", Air Force Ones has now largely gained its popularity off the court, it has become the best-selling sneaker ever with more than 1,800 color combinations, many in limited editions that can cost thousands of dollars. Consumption of the Air Force One sneaker was high. Nike Air Force Ones was the best-selling athletic shoe last year reflects a change in an industry whose product is becoming valued more for its fashion relevance than for its performance (Bierman).
The price range and name brand of the Nike Air Force Ones play a huge role in why people buy them. The brand Nike is very famous. The price range of Nike Air Force Ones is high. Nike comes out with Air Force Ones that would attract people to spend money on their product. The Air Force Ones that Nike made for the boroughs of New York are a great example of what price range means to the Nike Air Force Ones and also Nike consumerism. Nike released Air Force One that where for The Bronx, Harlem, Queens, and Brooklyn. People would spend a lot buying these Nike Air Force Ones to represent their neighborhood. Also, people that do not live in New York would buy these sneakers because of the boroughs name on it and the meaning of the boroughs. Nike used the New York boroughs as a way to make lots of money.
Music affects people and what they wear. There have been many songs that promote a certain type of sneaker to the people. An example of a song that promotes the Nike sneaker Air Force One is “Air Force Ones” by Nelly. Nelly’s song “Air Force Ones” speaks to the rap and hip hop culture. Music has a huge influence on the type of sneaker a person wears. Adidas were the old sneakers of Hip Hop. Run DMC made a song named “Adidas”. Nelly’s “Air Force Ones” boosted sales of the Air Force One sneaker and it became Hip Hop’s new sneaker after the Adidas. Music has a heavy influence on sneakers so much that if an artist makes a song about a certain sneaker, people get tempted to by the sneaker. Also, there is a Bronx Air Force One that means a lot to music because The Bronx is where rap and hip hop culture originated. People would wear the specific Bronx Nike Air Force One to represent their love for the rap and hip hop culture.
Some people buy Nike Air Force Ones sneakers because they see everyone else in their neighborhood wearing them. People influence each other’s style of sneakers. When someone is seen wearing Nike Air Force One sneakers that look appealing, people start to follow and that certain type of Nike Air Force Ones and it becomes a part of the trend. Also, Air Force Ones are usually worn by people in urban areas. According to "Nike Snubs Staten Island in New Line of "NYC Boro" a man named Herbert Matthews made the statement, "I think Nike represents people in the 'hood." Nike made a sneaker for every borough in New York, but then Nike decided to take away Staten Island’s sneaker and made a sneaker for Harlem which is in the borough of Manhattan (Bain). Nike probably did that because people from Staten Island do not wear Nike sneakers as much as people from Harlem do. People who do not live in New York would wear any of the borough’s Air Force Ones because New York is a huge place of hip hop and its culture. New York is known for creating hip hop dressing styles.
The Air Force Ones have many purposes. Low top Air Force Ones are usually worn to look good. High top Air Force Ones are great for playing sports with because they provide ankle support unlike the low top Air Force Ones. Also, Nike air force ones are comfortable sneakers that are very durable. Nike Air Force Ones were originally made to be basketball sneakers.
When I look in the mirror my sneakers tell a lot about the community I am from. The sneakers I usually wear are Nike Air Force Ones. What the Nike Air Force One sneaker tells is that I listen to rap music, I am from an urban neighborhood, I buy Nike sneakers because I like the brand and they are worth a decent amount of money, and also I wear Nikes because they are comfortable and look very appealing. The type of music you listen to, location or the neighborhood you live in, price range and name brand of the sneaker, purpose of the sneaker, and also your personal style are some of things that can be told to someone just by looking at the Air Force Ones a person wears. Sneakers speak to the community in which a person is a part of. Nike Air force ones speaks to the community in which I am a part of, which is a major reason why I chose sneakers as my cultural artifact.
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