This month, Nike is celebrating 30 years of Air – that’s three decades of innovation, technology, and of course, style.
In homage to the big day, we’re walking back through the history of Air Max, to take a closer look at the defining moments of the sneaks that stole the heart and sole of so many across the globe.
It all started back in 1987, when Tinker Hatfield designed the Air Max 1 and changed the game forever. A streamlined running sneak, it did the unthinkable, opening a window to the sole and making the Air unit in the heel visible for the first time ever.
Instantly recognisable, the Air Max 1 design was inspired by the Centre Pompidou, a high-tech building in the heart of France.
Three years later, it was time to raise the bar. Injecting even more Air into the sole, the Air Max 90 landed. Another Hatfield masterpiece, it built on the original Air Max 1 design, creating a pair of kicks that took the world by storm.
Next, the Nike Air Max 95 took things to a whole new level, opening six more windows in the sole. Designed by Sergio Lozano in 1995, this silhouette was inspired by the human body, with the lacing system acting as the ribs, and the midsole as the spine.
Dropping for the first time in a grey/volt green colourway, these creps are as massive today as they were 25 years ago.
Next up was the Air Max 97. Inspired by the Japanese bullet train, these sneaks took Air to the Max, stretching the units all the way down the sides.
Finally, going all the way back to day zero, in 2015 Nike released the one before the 1. Based on an original sketch drawn by Tinker Hatfield in 1986, the Air Max Zero looks like it belongs in the distant future.
Dropping at Footasylum on Air Max Day, the latest edition of the Zero will mark 30 years of Air. With a singular Air unit around the whole sneak, the LD Zero is definitely one to add to your collection.
Which are your favourite Air Max of all time? Make sure to let us know in the comments!
