Nike Air Force 1 of 1: The total velcro customization signed by Swoosh

Customization , the expression of one's individuality through personalized modifications, is the game with which we make those objects that accompany us in everyday life and that we love, including our favorite sneakers , our own.

A concept that has always been an integral part of the lifestyle of street culture , also expressed in streetwear, all of us have personalized a diary, a backpack, a jacket or a pair of shoes at least once in our lives, making them unique.

If to do it before you had to be an artist, or at least have above-average skills, today Nike offers everyone the opportunity to customize their own sneakers , without the need for any particular skills. As? With AIR FORCE 1/1 , the latest application of Velcro according to Nike .


Today we are used to this technology but when you think about it, Velcro is an incredible material that is striking for its remarkable flexibility and lightness but above all for its ability to join two surfaces in the blink of an eye, without preventing the two parts from being divided, attached and hung up countless times . Velcro can be opened and closed thousands of times, without wearing out .

But what is Velcro really?

The origins and history of Velcro

Everyone knows about it but few really know when and how it was created the velcro. The answer is one, and it is almost obvious...

By pure chance .
But what is genius if not the intuition given by chance.
To discover the beginning of the history of Velcro you have to go back to 1941 , when, upon returning from a walk in the mountains with his dog, the Swiss engineer George de Mestral noticed how dried Burdock flowers remained entangled in his dog's fur. four-legged friend and his wool socks. The intuition was brilliant.


De Mestral collected the dried flowers and, returning home, took his microscope and began to study the structure of the hooks of the Burdock to understand how to reproduce the interaction between the hooks of the flower and the loops of the fabric fibres . Shortly thereafter, De Mestral had in his hands the patent for the revolutionary technology that would soon replace buttons: the hook-and-loop fastening system, that is, Velcro .

When the Velcro patent expired in the 1980s , the use of this incredible technology exploded; while until then it was mainly used in the military and aerospace fields by NASA.

The world of clothing and in particular that of every-day footwear was fully affected. Previously, Velcro was used, for example, to prevent astronauts' plates from floating in space due to the absence of gravity, from that moment it found its maximum expression in the closures of sports sneakers . No more laces. Only one strap .

Brands of the caliber of Nike, Vans and Adidas went together. Until the end of the '90s there was a sort of gold rush in which brands produced the most successful sneaker trainers by equipping them with hook-and-loop closures , particularly those for kids who were less accustomed to tying their shoes.

Since then, the creative applications of Velcro have been endless and have made it possible to realize ideas that until then were confined only to the minds of the most ingenious.

What happens when you combine the most loved sneaker of all time with a Velcro base? Simply, Nike Air Force 1/1

The AIR FORCE ONE OF ONE was born from the Nike Air Force One, an icon of urban culture.

Released at the end of 2020 by the Beaverton company, the Air Force 1/1 is a modular sneaker which, in addition to being a tribute and - indeed - a true ode to DIY customization and the infinite potential of Velcro , opens a new chapter in the history of Swoosh sneakers.


The classic design of the Air Force 1 is equipped with a system of removable and replaceable overlays that allows the wearer of the Nike AF 1/1 to define their personality by modeling it on the timeless silhouette . It is no coincidence that the first version of this one-of-a-kind footwear creation took the name of Cosmic Clay , which literally means "Cosmic Clay", meaning - in addition to the bright orange color of the additional inserts - the opportunity given to millions of boys and girls from all over the world to shape their shoe into infinite customizations.

Nike Air Force 1/1 "Cosmic Clay"

Released by SNKRS Japan during the Christmas 2020 period and arriving in Italy at the beginning of 2021 , the AF One of One “Cosmic Clay” features an all-white color scheme completed by what at first glance may appear to be black stitching between the different panels of the upper. In reality, these black "seams" are what makes this shoe a unique piece, that is, the ultra-resistant black Velcro base on which the removable patches adhere.



As with subsequent releases, the box features free-hand style “Air Force 1/1” lettering , overlaid with the classic Air Force One wordmark logo. Continuing with the unboxing, inside - in addition to the kicks and the #AF1OF1 postcard - we find a Velcro panel on which the leather inserts are positioned, for the panels , and fabric inserts, for the laces , with which to indulge in experiments with style and find the infinite combinations that this revolutionary sneaker offers.

Update, April 2021

AF 1/1 “Triple White” and AF 1/1 “Animal Instinct”

Given the success of the first Air Force One of One, during Spring 2021 Nike released other colors of the velcro silhouette and we at ATIPICI have recovered the most beautiful ones for you!


For lovers of classic style the right choice is

Nike Air Force 1/1 “Triple White”

Similar in every way to the iconic white AF1 Low , every element of this shoe is in bright white: laces, sole, collar, patches and Velcro. An immortal colorway . The additional black inserts so as to obtain an elegant B/W game when venturing into compositions of Velcro and overlays .

Nike Air Force 1/1 “Animal Instinct”

Sneakers from the same family with a more adventurous and free personality , for those who want to be sure not to go unnoticed with all the Nike style: the Nike Air Force One of One "Animal Instinct" .

With this model Nike has decided to vary from the previous colorways - rather simple and monochromatic - by adopting patterns with designs and colors typical of the savannah , for a crazy animalier style . The external straps have Olive Green and beige streaks alongside the leopard print pattern of the central patches for an aesthetic completed by the Volt fluorescent yellow Swoosh , interchangeable with the spare zebra and/or orange ones.

Despite being removable, not all the patches that make up the upper of these three models have their replacement. The graphic experiments that Nike proposes with each colorway concern only the laces , the Swooshes , the heel pieces and the tongue badges , in square and round shapes.

However, nothing prevents us from going beyond the single pair of shoes scheme envisaged by the Beaverton stylists. At ATIPICI we always push to go beyond the limits and express one's creativity to the fullest .

You can think of removing all the leather panels and being left with just the Velcro base : a white - or black - canvas on which to indulge in combinations never seen before, completely personal and unique. You can buy more than one model and make a crazy mix of all the patches.

Nike invites you to be creative, we invite you to be ATYPICAL!

The more daring and creative can even use Velcro patches recovered from who knows where and apply them to their AF 1/1, taking inspiration from the custom style that many artists have explored with the white-on-white Air Force One Low, without fear of ruining our beloved sneakers indelibly.


Dive into the total customization of the NIKE AIR FORCE ONE OF ONE.
Come to our stores in Turin, Cuneo, Novara, Ivrea, Alessandria, Savona, Alassio and Santa Margherita Ligure and discover the details below!