Photos: Katie Charlesworth for CNK Daily

“To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power. Or the climbing, falling colors of a rainbow.”

- Maya Angelou

When we first started thinking about Mother's Day this year, we instantly knew what we wanted to do and we knew it would have to be a bit more personal than we’re used to. For us, we’ve pretty much stayed behind the scenes when it comes to crafting beautiful content. We prefer to ask the questions instead of being the subject. We’ve honored some of the amazing mothers in our CNK community but, we’ve never gotten personal — until now.

This year, we decided to craft a visual love letter to the original classic pair: mother and daughter. From the beginning, our literal day ones have taught us so much about being women and about what it means to set a standard of excellence that is always in style. Much like a mother’s love, a classic white-on-white pair of AF1’s is something that has followed us through childhood, adolescence, and adulthood so, what better way to illustrate the epitome of a classic than to see that crisp pair reflected on a woman whose very presence has endured through every stage of our lives?

Classics often get confused for things that are boring or ordinary but, they are far from either of those basic terms. Classics are the root of tradition, set the stage for innovation, and are always in rotation. And now, as the Nike Air Force 1 celebrates 35 years on the scene, we’re celebrating 30+ years with classics of our own.

Keep scrolling for a love letter to her and to them. We know you feel us.

No matter what, she has always shown us how to put our best foot forward. Our literal day one, she was the definition of love even before first steps and first pairs. She was the blueprint, the OG leader, and our first example of what it meant to be a friend, wife, lover, grandmother, auntie, god mom, etc. She has shown us that love languages can be found in something as simple as eye contact while tying a loose lace.

Like a fresh pair of white on whites, your love is classic, timeless, and goes with everything. Once upon a time, we tried walking in your shoes only to discover that they were far too big and not quite our own. But time allows for classics to be passed down — even if it’s a fresh pair, we understand how to wear them, how to walk tall, and how to make sure that new generations never underestimate the importance of 4Ever.

For us, you’ve BEEN classic. All of history, you’ve embraced us unconditionally and planting the seeds for how we’d #createthecommunity. You’ve always kept us grounded and encouraged us to dream beyond what has been traditionally expected. Your classic is as organic as a string of saltwater pearls - delicate, yet with a strength rooted in depth and forged in authenticity. But you remain the originator of warmth, love, and sacrificial strides — an incomparable blueprint for community. You’ve preserved the essence of who we were, are, and who we will become.

We’ve always known that classics are forever. As much as we embark on other things, try other trends, and explore other options, there’s nothing like coming back to what you know will always be a sure thing. To all of the classics, we thank you and we love you.