Rucker Park is seen as the mecca of street basketball, birthing a host of talented players that would eventually go onto play professionally in the NBA. Located in Harlem, players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Rafer Alston – whom were New York locals, would ply their trade in their early days to compete in the Rucker Tournament. During the tournament, players would feature crossover dribbles, extravagant slam dunks and bravado to excite the crowd.
Nike have created an Air Force 1 Low to pay homage to a legendary monument in both basketball and to New York. The classic silhouette would be fitting to Harlem specifically, due to their use of the term ‘Uptowns’ to name the model.
The Air Force 1 Low displays mainly a white upper in synthetic leather material, whilst the Swoosh features a tumbled leather. With an exaggerated mesh tongue, the use of orange stitching is used around the panels, midsole and Swoosh. The lining and outsole also take on orange hues. To complete the homage to the historic facility, enamel basketball deubres take over the standard feature and Rucker Parks zip code operates on the heel.
The Nike Air Force 1 ‘Rucker Pack’ is available online now! Shop here!