Nike Air Force 1 Low '07 "White/Dark Beetroot" Sneakers

Two ways to wear it. Straight leg indigo denim, a cream crewneck and a burgundy belt lets the beetroot Swoosh pick up the leather, and that combination carries from office casual to weekend. Or go tonal: wide black trousers, a white tee and a wine overshirt, so the shoe becomes the base of the outfit rather than its accent. The Air Force 1 last runs long, so a half size down is common on narrow feet. Keep them off wet grass and red soil, because white leather stains from the sole upward. Wipe with a damp cloth after each wear, use a foam cleaner on the midsole, and keep cedar or paper in the toe box so the crease does not deepen.

Nike entered culture through track with Steve Prefontaine, its first track endorser, then through the 1984 Michael Jordan signing and the Spike Lee directed Mars Blackmon advertising that made Nike the shoe of basketball and, through basketball, of hip hop. From the 1980s onward the Air Force 1 became a status symbol in urban and hip hop dress and a staple of mainstream American youth wardrobes, returning through 1990s and 2000s casual and athleisure looks. A white based pair sits at the centre of that story because it reads as neutral in every city it lands in. The beetroot hit is the small piece of personality that stops it disappearing into the crowd.

Leather upper on the classic Air Force 1 last, perforated toe box, stitched panel construction and a padded collar, with the beetroot arriving as an overlay Swoosh and heel tab against white. Underneath sits Nike Air, the pressurised gas unit sealed inside the midsole rather than shown through a window, so this cushioning is felt and not seen. The pivot circle rubber outsole gives the shoe its weight and its flat, planted ride. Expect a stiff first week while the leather creases at your flex point, then a shoe that holds its shape for years. White leather shows scuffs and beetroot hides them, which is the practical argument for a two tone pair over a triple white.