Air Force 270, an Old-School Barkley-Inspired Shoe

Many old-school basketball shoe fans may remember 1992’s Air Force 180, a shoe famously worn by “The Round Mound of Rebound” Charles Barkley. Well, they’ve inspired a modern Air, built with the all-new Air 270 unit. A custom D-ring strap and molded lateral Swoosh further distort the Air Force 270’s iconic predecessor with contemporary styling.

“A lot of the things we make in Sportswear are engineered to celebrate the history of Nike,” says designer Dylan Petrenka. “When we set out to redefine the new aesthetic of Air with Nike Basketball heritage in mind, we had the shoes that it took to get to where we are now in mind. So, the Air Force Max and Air Force 180 were in the back of our minds as we looked to redefine the look of Air. But then, how do we make every feature of the shoe speak to Air? That was always the guiding design question.”

Whatever the inspiration, we’re fans.