Jeff Staple | Air Max Day 2020

Jeff Staple is one of the true OGs in the game and his work is one of the reasons a sneaker culture even exists. In celebration of Air Max Day, we talked with Staple about his Air Max 90 “Navigation Pack,” working with Nike, and thoughts on an official Air Max 1 “Pigeon.”

The following interview has been lightly edited. 

What’s the story of how you ultimately decided to work with Nike on this project?

Let’s be real for a sec. No one “decides” they’re gonna work with Nike. Nike decides to work with YOU [laughs].

But for real, Nike and Staple had been working on a few projects at that point. We worked on some laser-based projects like the Air Rift and the Original Cortez. We also did the Nordic Pack. If you can believe it, the Pigeon Dunk wasn’t born yet. Jesse Leyva from Nike called me one day and he wanted to work with us on a project that would incorporate the new laser technology on something more mainstream. Previous to that, laser projects were very limited. The Navigation Pack would be the first laser project that was made in larger units.

(L-R) The Nike Air Shox, The Nike Air Burst, and The Nike Air Max 90 “Navigation Pack” (2004) // photo courtesy of Staple Design

How did you decide to work on the Air Max 90?

We wanted to do a pack of three styles. The Nike Shox was “a thing” back then. It has since gone away for the most part, unless you live in Brazil. The other style was the Air Burst—another underground classic. The AM90 was and is one of my favorite styles of all-time. It also proved to be a great canvas for the lasering treatment of the map of Downtown NYC. That map you see on there is literally each and every block of Soho and Tribeca.

Staple x Nike Air Max 90 “Navigation Pack” (2004) // photo courtesy of Staple Design

What were some of the unique challenges that arose through the design process? How long did it take?

I vividly remember at one point in the project, they asked me “So you know how to do a XXXXXX [Proprietary Nike Technology Term] right?” I said “Sure!” Of course, I had no idea [laughs]. I just didn’t want to say something to make them think they chose the wrong partner. So I went and asked everyone at Nike I knew to show me how to do that thing. I learned it and managed to finish the project. They say entrepreneurs are the type of people who jump off a cliff and learn how to build a plane on the way down. This is a prime example of that.

What’s your personal history with the Air Max 90?

The Infrared Air Max 90 was kind of my White/White Air Force 1. Meaning while others would stock up on Uptowns and never allow them to get scuffed or dirty; that was the 90s for me. I had pairs on stock and the moment that mesh toe box would get creased and dirty—which it always did—I’d replace them with a fresh pair.

How do you feel about the position this collaboration has earned in sneaker culture?

To be honest, it’s sort of a sleeper. Quite frankly, if I didn’t do the Pigeon Dunk, I think the Navigation Pack would get more love. But alas, the gift and the curse. Recently, as you’ve probably noticed on Instagram, a lot of kids like LilJupiterr, Hidden.NY, Archive.DNA, etc., are unearthing early days of street and sneaker culture. So I’ve noticed the Navigation Pack getting more love recently. It’s nice to see a new generation of kids learning about the true history of this culture.

Have you found that this project opened your brand up to a different audience?

Not really. I think the best thing it did was to further prove to the powers that be at Nike that we knew what the fuck we were doing. We’re accountable, reliable, and true to this culture. That combination is not so easy to come by—even today.

We know you did a 1-of-1 of the 720s for charity, and there was that limited release of the Zero. If you had the opportunity to work on another Air Max sneaker, what would you choose? The AM90 or 270 or Zero again, or would you choose another? Why?

I’d want to mess with the Air Max 1. It’s the original. It’s so clean. I love the collabs that my friends have done on it like HUF, Parra, and atmos. Plus I’ve seen a lot of customizers do Pigeon inspired AM1s. I’d love to make that a reality one day.

Be sure to check out more of our Air Max Day 2020 interviews with SOSHI, Mr. Foamer Simpson, Dave Ortiz, and Magdi Fernandes.