Air Force 1’s are Nike's top-selling sneaker of all time. And that isn’t surprising. Everyone from Jay Z to Kendall Jenner has a relationship with the classic shoe.

But the Air Force 1 had a different fate when Nike released it in 1982. In fact, Nike planned to cancel the shoe altogether in 1984. That is until a trio of retailers in Baltimore banned together to extend the life of the beloved basketball sneaker. Through inventive color of the month shoe drops, the Baltimore retailers not only saved the Air Force 1, but they influenced Nike’s distribution strategy forever.

Here’s how the Air Force 1 went from a limited shoe release to the top-selling shoe at Nike.

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How The Air Force 1 Became Nike's Best-Selling Sneaker Of All Time