In January 1980, Rudy finally managed to patent “Air” technology in the United States.
The Air Max line from Nike is the brand’s most popular sneaker range, unmistakable upon first glance thanks to the fortuitous work of Frank Rudy, an aerospace engineer. In the late 1970s, Rudy discovered high-density urethane gas for the first time and then introduced Nike to the concept of a shock-absorbing yet relatively light midsole. In 1978 this led to the very first model to incorporate such an innovation: the Nike Air Tailwind.
Air Max sneakers are easily recognizable by their midsole containing flexible urethane pouches filled with pressurized gas. These little air bags are visible from the outside and provide cushioning for the sole of the foot. Over the decades, Nike’s Air Max line has been a massive success among fans, owing to its cutting-edge designs and constant material innovation.
1987, the Air Max 1 was devised by Tinker Hatfield
A sketch showing the details of the Air Max 1, released in 1987.
Rudy’s pioneering work gave rise to a veritable revolution that still continues today. The unknown Tinker Hatfield was hired by Nike in 1981, not to create new sneakers, but as a corporate architect who was to design the brand’s campus buildings in Oregon. Only four years later, in 1985, Hatfield began working on sneakers, almost by accident. After visiting the high-tech, eye-catching Pompidou Center in Paris, Hatfield was inspired to emulate the innovative masterpiece in shoe form.
Although the first Nike Air Max 1 was launched on March 26 1987, production actually began in 1986, as confirmed by Sneaker Freaker. The early models had a significantly larger visible air pouch than the 1987 versions, but were quickly revised due to the tendency of the material around the “windows” to crack.
The exterior of the Pompidou Centre in Paris, which inspired Hatfield to create the Air Max 1.
The influence that trip to Paris had on Hatfield is recounted in the documentary “Respect The Architects: The Paris Air Max 1 Story”, where the origins of the shoe’s design are explored. His architectural background and his drive to make the air pouch visible from the outside proved to be crucial to the exponential growth of Nike Air Max. Such success flew in the face of predictions that the brand was on a downward spiral.
Times were tense, and there was even talk of firing Hatfield. Fortunately David Forland, Nike’s Director of Cushioning Innovation, was fully behind him. That trust was to be repaid.
The most popular Air Max models
An image depicting all Air Max models, from 1987 to today.
After the explosion of the Air Max 1, Nike enjoyed worldwide acclaim and continued to develop the series with numerous pioneering models.
1990: Air Max 90
One of the first commercials for the release of the Nike Air Max 90 “Infrared”.
In 1990, the Air Max 90 made its first appearance, in the OG “Infrared“ colorway, still the most popular and successful among devotees. Made of Duromesh, this sneaker embodies Nike’s evolution towards an increasingly elaborate design. The shoe is higher cut compared to its previous iteration, and the midsole air pouch is even more visible, but the flexibilty and next-level performance typical of the ‘Swoosh’ is maintained. In recent years, the iconic footwear been the subject of a collaboration with Off-White.
Average retail price: £140-£150
1991: Air Max 180
The OG “Ultramarine” color of the Nike Air Max 180.
Yet again, Nike endeavored to create an Air Max oriented towards sports performance. The shoe kept its solid foundations, but each model featured several novel tweaks. The Nike Air Max 180 takes its name from the 50% increase in the air unit which provides 180 degrees of visible Air cushioning, producing a partially transparent sole.
The silhouette, designed by Tinker Hatfield (Air Max 1) and Bruce Kilgore (Air Force 1), had returned to the limelight thanks to collabs with Comme des Garcons, Ambush and Sole Collector. It was known as one of Michael Jordan’s and the entire ’92 Dream Team’s favorites. On top of that, to celebrate the release of Kanye West’s debut album “The College Dropout” in 2004, Nike created an ultra-limited edition, the “Air Max 180 College Dropout”.
The shoe was actually the main source of inspiration for the creation of the Vapormax, in 2017.
Average retail price: £140
Kanye West wears the Nike Air Max 180 “College Dropout”, 2004.
1995: Air Max 95
An image taken from the Japanese manga “Great Teacher Onizuka”, featuring Nike Air Max 95. In Japan, the style is among the most popular from the Nike catalog.
The idea sprang from the mind of Sergio Lozano, then designer for the Nike ACG line. He conceived the first sneakers based on human anatomy, with a lacing system reflecting the ribs, a spine-inspired sole and an upper in mesh and suede that represents muscle fibers. In an interview, Lozano explained that the choice of gray and neon yellow wasn‘t accidental either: “We used color to accentuate the technology applied as well as some of the functional features we wished to emphasize.” In addition, Lozano was tired of seeing Air Max with white soles, so he decided to unveil the first one featuring a completely black sole. The Nike Air Max 95 became one of the most loved Nike creations in the world, especially among rappers and in countries such as Japan and Australia, where the sneaker sold out nearly everywhere. It was, however, also popular among criminals.
The model has been reworked several times, thanks to iconic collaborations with Atmos, Comme des Garcons, Carhartt, Kim Jones and many others.
Average retail price: £170
1997: Air Max 97
Even today, the Nike Air Max 97 is part of that elite circle of sneakers capable of influencing not only its own sector but an entire popular culture.
With each Air Max model, the bar is raised higher and higher. The 97 is probably the one that really highlighted the reasons behind Nike’s success on the global market. Each product results not only from technological and scientific innovations, but also from different life experiences. For instance, Christian Tresser designed the Air Max 97 Silver and drew inspiration for the Air cushioning from the metal finishes on mountain bikes, i.e. aluminum and polished titanium. Whereas for the upper, he imagined the ripple effect of a drop of water falling into a pond and spreading outwards. In addition, it was the first sneaker with hidden lacing, a real novelty for the time. Very quickly, the Air Max 97 became a status symbol in Italy, especially when it was adopted by DJs, all kinds of creative subcultures, writers and gabbers (originally a Dutch youth subculture). In Milan and Rome, “graffiti artists were the first to adopt the shoe as part of their uniform. In Naples, on the other hand, members of the city’s house music scene began wearing them”, writes Lodovico Pignatti Morano in the book “Le Silver”, produced by Kaleidoscope Magazine.
In fact, to celebrate the success of the sneaker in Italy, Nike released the Air Max 97 “Lux” in 2010 and the Air Max 97 “Country Camo” in 2017. At the same time, legendary partnerships with Sean Wotherspoon, British rapper Skepta, Undefeated, Off-White and many others can’t be overlooked.
Average retail price: £170
1998: Air Max 98
Nike Air Max 98 “Gundam”
From then on, replicating the success of the 97 would have been hard, in terms of hype and the sneaker’s technical structure. However, some lessons could still be learned on how to improve on comfort. The Air Max 98, also designed by Sergio Lozano, sought to take running shoes to a whole new level, continuing the work started by the Air Max 95 years earlier.
The aesthetic was inspired by the concept of bringing visible air to the forefoot and the pattern on the upper mimicked erosion like that seen in, in Lozano’s words, “striations very similar to what you see on the walls of the Grand Canyon. Layer after layer after layer that are slowly revealed over time.” The original colors of the shoe – white, varsity red and blue – were highly sought-after. The design was called “Gundam”, a reference to both the anime series of the same name and its distinctive Mobile Suit, the RX-78-2. Compared to the series’ previous models, the Air Max 98 had kind of a “chunkier” shape and wasn’t an immediate best-seller for Nike.
The silhouette returned to the shelves after a couple of decades, thanks to a 2016 collaboration with Supreme, and the re-edition of Gundam in 2018. It thus offered a new appeal to original fans as well as to later generations, who were almost unaware of its previous existence.
Average retail price: £170-£180
1998: Air Max Plus TN
The Nike Air Max Plus Tuned has become the symbol of suburban subcultures, especially in France and England.
The fact that it was released in the same year as the Air Max 98, a mini-flop at the time, epitomizes Nike’s incredible ability to always keep moving forward. Sean McDowell, the designer of the Air Max Plus Tuned, was inspired to design the spray-faded upper pattern after observing palm trees blowing in the breeze at sunset on a Florida beach. Regarding technical innovations, Nike used a blow-moulded air bubble coupled with strategically placed rubber hemispheres in the sole to provide additional support.
Its unusual, bold, almost shark-like design spread quickly around the outskirts of Paris, Marseille, London and Sydney among criminal gangs, graffiti writers, rave garages and other “wild” subcultures.
In addition to the different OG colors “Voltage Purple” and “Pimento/Tiger Orange“, the Air Max Plus TN has been revamped many times, in designs such as Atmos and Supreme which were dedicated to Miami and France. An eclectic shoe with a thousand stories behind it.
Average retail price: £220
2017: Air Max Vapormax Flyknit
The colorway of the first Air Vapormax, 2017.
Throughout the year marking the thirtieth anniversary of the of Air Max launch, Nike will release the culmination of its technological innovation: the Air Vapormax made with Flyknit, a material designed to cocoon the foot like a sock so as to offer support and resistance, ideal for sport.
This perfect blend of style, modern aesthetics and performance is all down to designers Tom Minami and Zachary Elder. After 7 years of intense planning and design, they have finally released the ultimate running shoe. Clearly, as shown by past models, each Air Max sneaker can be reinvented in countless ways. The most urban-style Air Max are the Vapormax by Off-White, Cactus Plant Flea Market, Acronym and Comme des Garcons.
Average retail price: £225
