We take a closer look at the Nike Air Force 1 in the Blue Suede and Gum colorway, on feet and up close.

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A quick on-feet video before we get into things.

It is a general release sneaker with an all suede upper and gum bottom. The tongue has a tumbled leather finish. The suede on this sneaker is pretty alright, not as lush as you would expect it to be on a shoe of this legacy. This is my 2nd pair of gum bottoms, I previously owned an adidas Originals Gazelle indoor sneaker. Gum soles are slowly catching up in the Indian market, although they aren’t really big at the moment. Restricted to skate shoes like the Eric Koston from Nike or Vans, they are now seeing widespread adaptations.

Most recently seen on the adidas Originals Yeezy 750 that dropped last month.

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I think this colorway looks pretty neat and the design element is clean. The standard AF1-82 medallion lace lock is missing on this version of the Air Force 1. That is a pity, because I feel the sneaker is incomplete without it. The other thing that I am not too crazy about in this particular pair is the fact that the suede feels very substandard. It is not lush nor is it all dark. It has an almost used fade to it. Nike could have done better on the quality of the materials used instead of going cheap on a sneaker that has a rich heritage. However, I do like the tumbled leather kind of finish on the tongue of this pair. Not something everyone would notice but you know its there and effort was put in to make it look and feel special.

As with all Air Force 1’s I would recommend going down half a size, since they run big. The comfort is pretty basic. A bunch of people have asked me how comfortable these shoes really are. I tell them, it is alright as long as you are using public transport or driving. These aren’t shoes you’d want to walk in for certain. They are stiff, pretty stiff I should say. The sole doesn’t articulate. To be fair, they were meant to be basketball shoes which is why they would need that kind of flat placement and stiffness. Also they aren’t lightweight at all. To the contrary, you are reminded that you have shoes on your feet when you walk. Cannot be compared to an Air Max or a Roshe or whatever else. I would say it is in the same weight category, if not more, than the Jordan 1’s. I don’t even know why I love these kicks so damn much that I own 3 pairs! I guess because they are so damn iconic and relevant.

Check out the Nike Air Force 1 Triple White.

Check out the Nike Air Force 1 Wheat Workboot.

These shoes can easily be teamed with shorts, denims, chinos or joggers. Which is another contributing factor for me to be in love with them.

The Nike Air Force 1 has now been released in India. You can pick them up at Nike Flagship stores across Bangalore, Bombay and Delhi. Remember, to go down half a size at least because they run big. My first pair, I had to give away to my friend because I did not know this about Air Force 1s.

Until next time, peace!

Outfit: Denims by Jack and Jones; Watch by GShock

Shot by Sheral Pereira and edited by Bowties and Bones

These images were shot on a Go Pro Hero 4 Silver and Edited on an iPhone using VSCO.