Editorial - March 26, 2020

SOSHI | Air Max Day 2020

Kevin Kosanovich

Kevin holds a Ph.D. in American studies and is an expert in American cultural history and hip-hop. He is the Senior Content Manager at StockX.

SOSHI Air Max Day Japan

Over the last half dozen years, SOSHI has been holding court on YouTube proclaiming the best of best in sneakers, fashion, and travel. You can catch up with his latest videos on his widely popular Youtube channel, SOSHI-NET.

We talked with SOSHI about his thoughts on the Air Max 90, his personal history with Air Max, and his love of Ichiro.

The following interview has been lightly edited. 

Why do you think the Air Max 90 is a good shoe for brand collaboration?

I think it’s a suitable shoe for collaboration. The design is simple, and I think this model is very popular for a wide range of people. I believe brand collabs on this model will continue to happen in the future.

What is your history with Air Max?

When I was in the second grade in elementary school, my whole family went to Guam. There, my father bought a pair of the Tailwind 96. At that time, the shoe wasn’t really that special to me. But when I got into baseball in the third grade, I saw that many MLB players wore Nike baseball shoes. That’s when I first got into Nike. So when I was in the fifth and sixth grade, I saw my dad’s Tailwinds from the family trip and thought they were very cool. That’s when I first wore a pair of Air Max, but I did it without permission [laughs].

I also like the Air Max 95 Neon. I played baseball, and I became a big fan of Ichiro Suzuki, and I saw him wear the Air Max 95 Neon in a TV commercial when the shoe initially released in ’95. I was only six or so back then, and I didn’t really know the name of the shoe, but I liked the commercial. The image Ichiro rocking the 95 stuck me, and I always really wanted to have a pair. So when they rereleased in 2015, I was desperate to get a pair.

Is there an Air Max model you would like to see brands such as atmos, sacai, or Loopwheeler reimagine next?

For me personally, I want to see an Air Max Tailwind 96 collab. I like this one. It gives me good memories from my elementary school days.

Be sure to check out more of our Air Max Day 2020 interviews with Jeff Staple, Mr. Foamer SimpsonDave Ortiz, and Magdi Fernandes.