~Stan Smith in sporty version~
After the plethora of positive reviews of my previous products (and thank you very much for that), I continue with the reviews, with a shoe that is also considered an icon, imbued with a long history and theoretically even today, all its versions (low, mid, high) can be used for basketball, as indeed their primary purpose. (I suggest to anyone who doesn't know, to look up its history). I will not go into much detail on its characteristics, making the evaluation tiresome, I will simply mention the basics (as in the previous ones), and for me the most important, I will compare it to the stan smith (I will refer to them as ss for brevity) because they are shoes of the same color, of similar value, and of approximately the same construction material.
Design: Athletic - basketball shoe, all-white, it does not have many details that tire and make it difficult to match. The large Nike Swoosh is discreetly visible (speaking of the all-white version) *although I admit that it gives it a casual-sporty character and not a casual-semi-formal character like the ss which do not have designs on the leather. It is a chunky shoe, not thin like the ss, and its midsole is clearly chunky, losing the simple elegance of a modern athletic shoe (not bad of course). The shoe has withstood the test of time, its design has now become "neoclassical", and now we have reached the point where you can enter the Nike site and create your own color combinations for the shoe you want and order it from the same company. Forget the range of ss in dress-up, the AF-1s only go with athletic-casual attire, and only to a certain extent. For example, a high-end polo shirt does not easily match the AF-1s, unlike the ss. Fully satisfied for dress down as it reaches almost the same range as the ss (even to the beach). It also reduces the range of ages it can be worn (ss go perfectly with people 50+, AF-1s not so much).
Construction quality: I could stop here by just writing the word "tanks", but I will tell you that the shoe is a little tank. Hard, rigid mid and outsole that feel like nothing and the leather on top is quite thick, surpassing the ss by far (imo). You hit them and feel nothing, you throw them and feel nothing, you step on them and they don't crush. The leather of the shoe on the front upper side, just after the lace tag, will get somewhat scratched after some use, but it doesn't make the shoe look bad (complete opposite of the ss). You feel their athletic character, you don't mind them not being completely clean and shiny. The interior is lined with this synthetic material that is soft and comfortable, excelling in comfort, but lacking in durability (after some time the plastic lining behind the heel will come off). I don't know if it's just me, but the stains on the lining do not come off easily like on the outer leather, so around the ankle try not to stain the lining if you want to keep them all-white. In short, 10 times more durable than the ss.
Size: I confirm the one size down. I tried them on in a store, as in my size, the discount I found on skroutz was in the range of 2-5 euros, which with shipping costs could be at the same level as their retail price, if not higher (haha). Well, my regular size fit me but the heel was a bit raised, simply the size 1 smaller fit perfectly, and I felt like I could run something I couldn't do with my regular size in any case. The salesgirl told me that in her AF-1 she had to get 2 sizes smaller to fit her. So definitely try them on if you can. You definitely feel the pressure on your foot, after all, as a basketball shoe it shouldn't have too much space, otherwise you wouldn't be able to run on the court.
Comfort-walking: First month so-so, until it took a bit of shape I felt like my foot was pressed on the sides, but after a month they became completely comfortable. The air sole is nothing enthusiastic, it exists but it's almost like it doesn't exist, due to the old technology it has (and whoever disagrees, let them walk with the new Nike air soles that cover the entire sole and are soft) and you definitely feel like you have a bulky, heavy shoe, which is not annoying once you get used to it.
Price: 100% worth it as well as the ss, hopefully in the times we live in we could find it as cheap as possible.
Epilogue: Of the 3 basic versions of the AF-1, definitely the low version is the easiest to wear on a daily basis, for your walks, to go to school-work etc. If you are looking for a purely youthful shoe that is athletic, goes with everything and can be worn almost every day without being negatively commented on or getting tired of its particular characteristics, then this is what you are looking for. If you are looking for something more versatile that goes better with more formal outfits, you better look at other shoes, the AF-1 is not suitable for "classy" outfits. It's a bit expensive but what can we do, good things in life are not always cheap. However, consider that you are buying a shoe from a historic brand, with a unique history of the same model enduring over the years with a retro character that doesn't look outdated, and of course you are buying a shoe that you can do your workout with (for those going to school), while you will regret the ss. If the ss are a must for the first shoes in your collection, this comes next.
P.S.: I consider it obvious that if you are into cleanliness, you will panic if you walk after rain on the street. Know that on the leather, if you wipe it with a damp cloth, most of the dirt will come off, unfortunately if it falls on the laces, they soak with dirt and the pressure automatically rises when you see that they don't clean with wiping. However, this happens with all white shoes. Finally, if I chose another color it would definitely be black, there the stains wouldn't show the same and I would have again a shoe equivalent to the usability of the all-white AF-1.
