Nike To Start Cutting Back On Air Force 1s To Make Way For New Styles

It looks like Nike is cutting back on Air Force 1s.

The company has revealed that it is scaling back its iconic sneaker. The move seems to be a strategy meant to make the Air Force 1 an exclusive sneaker and usher in fresh concepts.

“We’re managing some of our largest lifestyle franchises and some of our performance franchises back to make space for the newness,” CFO Matt Friend explained on Nike’s third-quarter 2024 earnings call.

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Other factors may be at play, such as the possibility of reduced sales for the AF1. During the company’s December 2023 earnings call, Friend revealed that the company would reduce the supply of specific shoes as a response to “cautious consumer behavior.” This could likely be attributed to the unstable economy at this time.

The Air Force 1 has long been one of Nike’s go-to casual sneakers. This has largely been proven true with the all-white Air Force 1 shoe. However, the increased popularity of the Nike Dunk in recent years may have filled that need. It’s unknown if that style is among the designs that Nike is looking to make more room for.

“We’ve been missing some product newness at scale in our portfolio over the last several seasons,” Friend added on the call.

We’ll unlikely see Air Force 1’s disappear altogether, though news looks are definitely on the horizon.