John Kim 
The year 2013 seems far away, but we’re approaching the mid-point of 2012 – so it’s coming sooner than you think. As you may already know Nike Sportswear has celebrated the 25th Anniversary of its 1987 models by re-releasing them to the public, and a look at this 2013 sample of the Nike Air Trainer ’88 may allude to a return of all the ’88 models (or we can at least expect this Black/Grey/Hot Red sample with reflective uppers). But before you move on to the gallery, we should clear some clutter regarding Air Trainer nomenclature of the last two decades. The ‘Air Trainer ’88’ isn’t the Air Trainer ’88. Sure, it released in 1988, but this model is actually called the Nike Air Trainer TW (none of the original models were given any yearly designation).
So why all the confusion regarding Air Trainer names and such? It started getting a bit ‘out of hand’ (for lack of a better description) between ’87 and ’94 because forty-two different Training and Cross-Training models were released – most of which had the wore ‘Trainer’ in the official name. When the Auburn/Bo Jacksons were re-released, they were called the Air Trainer SC, when it fact the original name was Air Trainer SC III. Moving on from that point, there has been some jumbling of names and Nike hasn’t recovered since. The ‘TW’ line in question debuted in 1988 and was advertised as a lightweight and washable shoe as it was built with ‘washable’ materials like mesh, and based on this sample, it appears ‘TW’ isn’t making a comeback at all and will return simply as the Air Trainer ’88. If you want some clarification on the matter, check out the original Nike ad of the Air Trainer TW below as well as the full gallery of this 2013 sample, and for a complete look, move on to the listing from dballaholic on eBay.
The Nike Air Trainer ’88 is a potential Retro release in 2013. It was originally released in 1988 as the Air Trainer TW.
