The Nike Air Force 1 has been a steady presence in skateboarding for a long time, especially after Eric Koston wore it in the Nike SB x Nike Air Force 1 collaboration.
It shows up in everyday outfits, skate clips, and casual style posts across different platforms. Recently though, the way it is talked about online has started to shift, especially among younger users on TikTok.
Some Gen Z skaters are now referring to it as “dad shoes” or simply something that feels “basic,” which reflects how quickly opinions can change once a style becomes too common.
Social media plays a big role in this kind of shift. On TikTok, outfits and skate shoe picks are shared constantly, and certain items can appear in so many posts that they start to feel overexposed.
The Air Force 1 has been part of that cycle for a while. Because it has been popular for so long, it naturally ends up being grouped with styles that older generations wore heavily, which is where labels like “dad shoes” come in.
There is also a growing interest among younger audiences in finding styles that feel less common. Instead of going with what is widely seen, many look for sneakers or outfits that are harder to spot in everyday settings.
That interest in difference can make long standing staples feel less appealing at certain moments, even if they remain widely used.
Trends no longer need years to shift. A style can be widely praised one year and then questioned the next simply because online content changes direction.
When something like the Air Force 1 stays in circulation through all of that, it becomes more likely to be reassigned labels based on where it sits in the current moment of attention.
Even with these changing opinions, the Air Force 1 continues to sell and remains part of everyday skating among skateboarders around the world. It is still worn for its simple design and easy styling. The difference now is mostly in how certain online groups describe it, showing how cultural perception can move separately from actual use.