Originally released in 2004, HUF's first Nike collaboration is available for it's first ever retro soon! Throwing ya'll for a curve ball in 2004, Keith Hufnagel's storied background in skateboarding didn't stop him breaking the mould & instead choosing his personal favourite Nike shoe - the Air Max 1.
20 years after it's original launch, this marks the first time the public is able to have a good chance to get their hands on this shoe - especially in Australia. USG has been stocking HUF for well over a decade now, we are thrilled to see this legendary AM1 make a return. HUF have a big soft spot in our hearts: always embodying a tongue-in-cheek ethos that we love & being a champion for one of South Australia's favourite past-times - if you know, you know.
(I know you saw all the heat in this video)
Arguably the first American brand/store with it's own Air Max 1 colourway, with only Atmos from Japan creating the "Safari" & "Viotech" (dear Swoosh in Heaven, please retro) the year prior in 2003.
The original "Dark Apple" Air Max 1 from 2004 broke a bit of ground; It was one of, if not the first "Hyperstrike" releases Nike created. Back in the day, "Hyperstrikes" were the rarest iteration of rare shoes - usually reserved for friends & family only. Huf's "Dark Apple" Hyperstrike release consisted of only 24 pairs, each having a distinct perforated toebox, and a hand stitched Benny Gold (God I feel old) cityscape on the heel counter. You can dig up some video of Benny creating them!
Alongside the rare Hyperstrike pair were two other mythical HUF x Air Max 1 samples: one in "Brilliant Orange" & the other in "Pink Pow". According to some of the team at HUF, it is speculated that only FOUR (yes, 4) pairs of the orange & pink samples exist.
(Above: how many times can you say you saw a small herd of Unicorns?)
(Above: Shout out to @jaefella, one of the few collectors lucky enough to have the 2004 set)
Nike & HUF have gone to extensive lengths to create a faithful 1-to-1 retro of the beloved AM1. They've had to track down where some of these 20 year old samples went, they've had to buy old pairs from similar minded people on Ebay - just to make sure everything is perfect on the 2024 retros. From the cracked patent leather, two-toned laces & fruit themed shade of green (originally called Dark Apple now called Pear), The Swoosh has gone the extra mile just to get it right.
On top of that, some new & welcome details have also been added. A co-branded vintage HUF logo & Nike Swoosh appears on the tongue - a feature that wasn't present on the 2004 original. The AM1's come in a special green circa 2000's Nike box (something I can't recall ever seeing before!), with added custom shoe paper - but maybe best of all they come with a Bones keychain.
Who is Bones you ask? Bones is Keith's beloved Chihuahua. Bones was by Keith's side during the initial opening of HUF. Keith & his wife at the time Anne used their entire life savings to start their first store on 808 Sutter Street in San Francisco. Bones oversaw the installation of all the shop fittings & heavy displays. Throughout the years, especially during HUF's early days, Bones would be a regular sight - even to stores like USG on the other side of the world: everyone seemed to know this chihuahua.
(This photo of Bones was taken by Keith circa 2010)
The 2024 retro has made great use of Keith's & Bones legacy. HUF & Nike have created an amazing commercial, centred around Bones. Shot from his perspective - coming down the stairs of his bed, making his way via PJ to Tokyo and Los Angeles HUF stores. A slew of references to HUF are in the promo, from Lance Mountain’s bee costume, Bones having his own shoe box to sleep in, and several Nike products that HUF has been involved in.
HUF SF | KEITH FOREVER NIKE SPORTSWEAR | AIR MAX 1 USG STORE | COMING SOON
