Taylor Swift’s personal style is a strong reflection of her cultural impact, such that it is. Part of the secret to Swift’s success is that she proffers the most widely-approachable content in the biz: broadly accessible music that’s as remarkably digestible as Nike’s Air Force 1 sneaker.
Indeed, the things that Taylor Swift wears are often a reflection of her mass appeal. Fans who appreciate her palatable songs can aspire to wear a shirt and skirt combo in the day, a leather shirt/jorts outfit at night. Nothing too advanced, nothing too exciting, nothing too challenging.
Swift’s approach to footwear is as broadly ordinary as the rest of her wardrobe. Of course, Swift wears a sneaker as utilitarian as the New Balance 550 and, as she demonstrated on October 22, the Nike AF1.
Seen on-foot in the photo she took with Chariah Gordan, partner to Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman, Jr., Swift’s Nike Air Force 1 is merely the latest ultra-normal shoe to receive her co-sign, suggesting that Swift has a true arsenal of commonplace kicks in her wardrobe.
Like the NB 550, Swift’s red and white AF1 is obviously a nod to the colors of beau Travis Kelce’s football team — and it’s admittedly cute that Swift is supporting her new boyfriend by wearing Kansas City colors — but in the big picture, they’re incredibly typical sneakers and thus a perfect fit for Swift’s taste.
Presumably angling for a big sales bump in the same vein as the NB 550, Nike placed an image of the same Air Force 1 colorway that Swift wore at the front of its web store but there hasn’t been quite as much buzz around Swift’s AF1 as there was around her New Balances, perhaps because the AF1 is that much of a cultural staple.
Whereas the New Balance 550 only recently became a go-to shoe for folks seeking normal-looking white, chunky sneakers, the Nike AF1 has been a longtime ordinary favorite for decades.
Stylewise, the AF1 is also a moderate step down from Swift’s Ganni New Balances in its sheer ubiquity, at least because it’s simply less intentional.
The Nike Air Force 1 is so normal as to be the uttermost basic sneaker, the epitome of ordinary, worn by everyone of every stripe across the globe. Not a diss, just a fact.
Really, that only makes the AF1 the perfect match for Swift herself. It’s tolerably anonymous, providing inoffensive background music for any outfit.
And, should Swift fans feel moved enough to imitate their idol, no chance of Nike ever selling out of Air Force 1 sneakers.
