What made you fall in love with Air Max?
When people ask me this question, I always go back to junior high. In Paris, I guess just like in any big city in the world, kids were ruthless with style. If you didnāt have it, you were out of the game. All our convos were either about the next school assignment or some dope jacket, hat, pair of jeans or tracksuit – or whatever shoe was popular. I donāt come from a wealthy family, but my mum used to spend quite a bit of cash on shoes for my brother and me. She always wanted us to shine and look good, and we worked really hard at looking fly!
I remember one of my girls rocking a pair of Air Max BWs to school for the first time. We had no clue what they were back then, but I was totally blown away. I mean, all the kids at school were. But I think the pair I fell in love with and have brought the most is the Air Max 1, for the simple fact that it’s a neat, clean shoe with very few details, so it’s easy to wear with anything. I guess the BW started it, but the Air Max 1 definitely confirmed it!
Whatās your most memorable Air Max experience?
I like to think of myself as someone who simply enjoys shoes for what they are and what they still trigger in me. It is such a big part of my life. So many acquaintances and good memories, and so much joy because of it.
We used to travel as much as we could afford to when I was young; usually to the US to get some fresh goods. New York was number one on the list, but also major Euro cities like Amsterdam and London. You could find the most amazing Air Max for 40, 50 bucks. And I am talking about shoes that are worth thousands now! I copped pairs such as the Air Max 1 Grape, Greystone and Crepe Hemp for 60 dollars max.
When at home, setting an alarm for the middle of the night to win an auction was an everyday activity for me. And we had to pay for the cheapest shipping – no tracking number or anything – so you had no guarantee the pair would even make it!
Can you describe the feeling of being acknowledged by Nike as a Master of Air?
The Masters of Air journey was one of a kind. It is also a very flattering title indeed. Being recognised for your dedication and love for the shoe is a beautiful thing. Iāll never forget the day I was contacted by people from Nike France telling me that Nike HQ people were interested in my profile for some project. The next thing you know, I had the whole Nike WHQ crew in my small Paris apartment to shoot me and my shoes in my everyday environment.
Going to Portland, meeting Tinker and the other eight Masters of Air from all over the world was the most thrilling thing ever. I still believe the Masters of Air campaign made the Air Max great again, and I am beyond flattered that we contributed so beautifully to it.
Is there a particular Air Max that you donāt have but would give up half your collection to possess?
I would never give up my collection for a shoe or a cheque, never. Of course, there are always pairs you desire, look around for – but to a certain extent. The thing is, all the pairs I really like or would want to buy again are the old ones, but the old ones all crumble, and the one thing I hate is having shoes I cannot wear anymore. More than half of my collection is made up of pairs I cannot wear anymore. I always say that I have a big kicks graveyard at home!
The only pairs Iāve ever wanted, I have already. I just wish the Air Max 95 Neon, Air Max 1 OG Blue and Red, the Air Max 90 Infrared, the Grape, the Forest Green – you know, all of those classic pairs – would live forever. I would love to have the friends & family German Camo Air Max 1. It is a shoe Iād gladly add to my collection. Other than that, just give me a good classic GR colourway and a decent shape and Iām content.
Whatās the most interesting Air Max fact youāve learned?
Maybe the fact that the Nike Air technology was created by a former NASA aerospace engineer. I mean, how crazy is it to have such high-tech features in a running shoe?! And I do love the Pompidou-inspired story too. Pretty amazing to transpose such vision into a shoe. The creative process behind a shoe is what I enjoy knowing about, like Tresserās Air Max 97 and its bullet train inspiration. All the Air Max have a unique creative design to them, and it is definitely what makes it a great shoe.
If you could save only three Air Max styles from being wiped from existence, which three would you choose?
The Air Max 1 OG University Red, the Air Max 1 All-Leather Triple White, and the Air Max BW Persian.
Iām willing to bet youāre the coolest teacherĀ most of your students know, but do you come across many kids that share your love of Air Max?
Thank you very much! Yes, my students love bubbles, they love Air Max. It is still the most popular shoe in the building. I see JordansĀ here and there and Dunks once in a while, but nothing beats the Air Max.
The most popular, as I always say, is the TN. Always has been and always will be. It is crazy how that shoe still catches their attention. I do see the Plus III a lot too, which I did not before, but that TN silhouette is the ultimate winner. So, yes, of course, we talk about shoes a lot. They love the fact that Iām into it and we speak the same “bubble language”, as I call it. It definitely adds something to my relationship with the kids, and I totally take advantage of it.
What is your ideal future for Air Max?
The brand should stick to what it does, or did, best. Iām tired of the non-stop output. So many releases per week or per month is way too overwhelming, and it defeats the purpose of creating a great shoe. The future for Air Max would be to go back to one or two solid releases a year, one or two classic colourways a year and that is it.
I know we will never go back to what the game was 20 years ago for obvious reasons, especially since sneakers became a modern currency, but there are still nice ways of keeping the passion alive,Ā We are the experts, we are the real people with the purest attachment to it, we are the ones who took the Air Max off of the running fields and took them to the street, but most of the time, it feels like we are left on the side.
I was very excited by the Nike on Air programs, which gave the opportunity to complete strangers to bring their contribution to the brand. For me, it was the best thing that happened to Air Max in recent years. Just the fact that they were involving āregularā people in the development of it – this is what I would love to see more of in the future for Air Max.
