Over the last few months, designer Yoon Ahn of AMBUSH has posted several photos of her new take on the Nike Air Adjust Force. If the Air Adjust Force looks like a classic ‘90s silhouette, that’s because it is. It’s a somewhat random silhouette for Nike to bring back, but so far the response on social media has been 100% positive. Yoon’s rendition of the Nike Air Adjust Force is a fresh take on a classic performance basketball silhouette from the mid ‘90s. Ask anyone who owned a pair back then, and they’ll reminisce about how their high school basketball team all rocked them with matching straps.
Flying Under the Radar
Somewhat muddled within all the incredible Nike basketball sneakers from the ‘90s, the Air Adjust Force boasted a feature that no other sneaker could provide at that time. Players could significantly change the look and color of the shoe based on the FitWrap strap that they chose. Or, they could just take the strap off and hoop without it.
Air Adjust vs Air Modify
There were actually two models that allowed wearers to swap out different straps: the Air Adjust Force, and a takedown version called the Air Modify Force. The Nike Air Adjust Force was designed by Eric Avar. You may recognize the name; and if not, here’s a few other notable sneakers that he’s designed over the years: the Air Flight Huarache, the Air Max Penny, the Flightposite, the Zoom Ultraflight, the Zoom Huarache 2K4, and on and on and on.
Though the Adjust Force was not one of Avar’s wildest models, it was certainly a solid, super-functional basketball shoe. It featured full-grain leather and a Durabuck upper, along with the patented removable FitWrap stability strap. It had a lightweight Phylon midsole, with cushioning provided by a Max2 heel Air-Sole unit and a large-volume forefoot Air-Sole unit. The men’s and women’s versions dropped summer ‘96 for $124.99.
There was also a takedown version called the Air Modify Force, which was designed by another legendary Nike designer, Wilson Smith III. Part of Smith’s accolades include designing the Air More Uptempo, the Air Jordan 16 & 17, and many models worn by tennis superstar Andre Agassi, including the Air Flare, Air Alarm, and Air Zoom Beyond. The Air Modify Force utilized the same FitWrap strap as the Adjust, and also featured full-grain leather and a Durabuck upper. Instead of Air Max cushioning, the Modify had a visible heel Air-Sole unit. The men’s and women’s versions retailed for $89.99 and dropped the same time as the Adjust.
The Legacy
These two models were incredibly popular when they dropped in the Summer of ‘96. Members of the ‘96 USA Olympic team wore them, and many players in the NBA wore them during the ‘96-’97 season. From David Robinson, to Charles Barkley, to John Stockton, to Mike Bibby, to Vince Carter, to Rasheed Wallace – the list goes on and on. Both the Adjust and Modify were so technically sound, they could be worn by everyone from point guards to centers.
Marketing for the Air Adjust and Air Modify was fairly simple back then. Nike was making the best shoes for the best athletes, and the promo campaigns pretty much wrote themselves. There was one ad in particular that stood out, featuring a very small image of the Air Adjust Force, alongside other models like the Air More Uptempo, Air Max 96, and Air Rupt. In teeny tiny print, a caption underneath the Air Adjust read:
“John Stockton does not wear the Air Adjust Force basketball shoe because it is ‘new and improved.’ He wears it because its maximum volume Air-Sole unit and fully adjustable FitWrap strap make the Air Adjust Force a well-cushioned, extremely stable basketball shoe.”
Compared to other flashier models like the Air Zoom Flight 5 or Air More Uptempo, the Adjust and Modify were not as wild style-wise. However, it was a technically-sound basketball sneaker that clearly many star players enjoyed wearing. Here’s hoping that Yoon’s take on the Air Adjust continues to be well-received, so that perhaps Nike will retro the sneaker in the OG form with some of the patented FitWrap straps.
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