Introducing the Nike Air Foamposite: History and Timeline
The Nike Air Foamposite and Nike Air Foamposite Pro performance basketball sneakers were initially released in 1997. The Foamposite debuted in the 1997 NCAA tournament by the Arizona Wildcats and was made popular in the NBA by the Orlando Magic's Penny Hardaway. Eric Avar and Jeff Johnson designed the sneaker, and Nike partnered with car company Daewoo on the synthetic materials that make up the shoe's unique upper. Inspiration for the sneaker was taken from the fictional T-1000 character from the Terminator movie franchise, which could shapeshift its form from solid to liquid. The original retail price for the Nike Air Foamposite was $180.
Nike Air Foamposite Cultural Moments
Penny Hardaway is the NBA player who's become synonymous with the Nike Air Foamposite. Although it wasn't originally designed to be Hardaway's signature sneaker, the player reportedly fell in love with the sneaker when Nike designers first showed him a sample. Hardaway's signature "One Cent" Nike logo appears on the Air Foamposite One's tongue, heel and outsole.
After Hardaway debuted the all-blue colorway of the Nike Foamposite One on the court, NBA rules mandated that the sneaker be at least 50 percent black to match the Orlando Magic uniforms. The team's equipment manager took a black Sharpie marker to the sneakers' ridges and colored them in by hand so Hardaway could keep wearing them without penalty. A later 2015 retro version of the Nike Foamposite One with black accents in the ridges of the upper pays homage to this moment.
Early TV advertising for the Nike Foamposite One didn't feature Hardaway. Commercials had the shoes laid out on a subway seat and basketball court with voiceovers in the background, calling them "space basketball shoes."
Penny Hardaway isn't the only NBA player who was a fan of the Foamposite. Tim Duncan wore the Nike Air Foamposite Pro in the 1998 NBA All-Star Game. Duncan was also synonymous with a later version of the Nike Foamposite with Air Max cushioning released in 1998 called the Nike Air Total Foamposite Max.
Off the NBA court, the sneaker has an immense following in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Maryland and Virginia. According to D.C. rapper Wale, the sneaker is a staple in the area and has a cult following for its rarity in the late '90s and indestructible design.
Nike Air Foamposite Design: Molded to Perfection
The Nike Air Foamposite features minimal Nike branding. It has a full-length Zoom Air unit, polyurethane upper and midsole and a carbon fiber plate for stability. The sneaker is distinct for its one-piece design that's fused together by pouring a synthetic polyurethane material into a mold. The mold originally cost Nike $750,000 and accounts for the sneaker's high MSRP. The company never had plans to retro the sneaker in 1997, so it destroyed the original molds. Later versions of the Foamposite featured a slightly different shape than the originals.
Nike Air Foamposite Colorways and Collectibility
The Nike Air Foamposite Pro was first retroed in 2001, and the Nike Air Foamposite One was retroed in 2007. One of the most hyped colorways released played off the space theme in 2012. The "Galaxy" Nike Foamposite One (521286-800) featured a glow-in-the-dark outsole and starry, cosmos-like print on the upper. In 2021, this colorway fetched upwards of $2,000 or more.
Streetwear brand Supreme collaborated with Nike on a luxury version of the Air Foamposite One in 2014. Two colorways from this collection were released — red/gold and black/gold. They retailed for $250 and can now score in the $4,000 range.
A rare colorway of the Nike Air Foamposite One is the "ParaNorman" version (579771-003). Only 800 pairs of this black and neon green sneaker with glow-in-the-dark soles were released in 2012 to celebrate the release of the movie ParaNorman. The resale value of this sneaker is upwards of $5,000, depending on the size.
Nike Air Foamposite One 'Metallic Gold' (314996 700)
Nike Air Foamposite Pro 'Metallic Silver' (624041 002)
Nike Air Foamposite One Retro 'Anthracite' (314996 001 20)
Nike Air Foamposite Pro 'Purple Camo' (624041 012)
Nike Air Foamposite One 'Paranorman' (579771 003)
Nike Air Foamposite Pro GS 'Sequoia' (644792 300)
Nike Air Foamposite Pro GS 'Black Metallic Gold' (644792 010)
A similar pair in Challenge Red and Black designed in partnership with the Doernbecher Children's Hospital was released in 2013 (641745-600) and retroed in 2019 (641745-600-19). It retailed for $230 and can fetch up to $1,000 or more.
Other widely available colorways of the Nike Air Foamposite include Anthracite, Black, Metallic Silver, Metallic Gold, Purple Camo and Sequoia. The current MSRP for a non-premium version of the Nike Air Foamposite is $230.
Nike Air Foamposite One vs. Nike Air Foamposite Pro
A variant of the Nike Air Foamposite was first released in Fall 1997 called the Nike Air Foamposite Pro. The Pro version features a jewel Nike Swoosh on the side and different branding from the original. The Nike Air Foamposite Pro was initially designed for Scottie Pippen, but he never wore it in an NBA game.
