John Kim 
Is the Air Max 90 the greatest Air Max of all-time? Sneakerheads will argue for and against that heady statement to no end, but the five 90s we’re about to feature this week for Sneaker News Classics Revisited make a strong case for the Air Max 90 being among the greatest in history. There’s no doubt that the original ‘Infrared’ colorway is the undisputed champion of 90’s, but aside from all the sick GRs that dropped along the way, the Air Max 90 was a serious player in the collab game – and we’re about the list five of the best ever. While the Air Max 90 Homegrown isn’t the first AM90 collaboration, we’re kicing things off with a name that’s been floating in and out of the sneaker headline newswire more often than any other of this group – Patta of Amsterdam.
After opening its doors in 2004, it didn’t take long for Dutch boutique Patta to gain a serious reputation as one of the most respected purveyors of streetwear in the world. In late 2006, Patta was given the honorable opportunity to design a Nike sneaker, giving their own spin on a classic by incorporating the Dutch streetwear and hip-hop culture. The selection was the Air Max 90 and the colorway was a solid green tone that was an obvious reflection of a certain regionally-legal recreational activity, but the choice of materials (the true underrated feature of the Homegrowns) – suede, a tree-leaf detailed leather, and perforated nubuck – set these alongside some of the greatest artist/store collabs of that era. The sneaker was also released in conjunction with the launch of State Magazine, but perhaps the most notorious aspect of this sticky release was the promo made by Habbekrats Reclame, an Amsterdam-based ad agency (shown below). From the colorway down to the concept, the Homegrowns were simply a masterful hit, and today stands as one of the most desirable Air Maxes in history.
Patta x Nike Air Max 90 ‘Homegrown’
Grass/Grass-Orange Blaze
315728-331
12/2006
