Sneaker News 
When it comes to the wide world of sneakers, we all have different tastes and opinions, and the team here at SN is no different. All day in the office, we’re discussing and debating new releases and beloved classics, and needless to say, each of our staff members has strong feelings about their respective sneaker passions. As a result, we’ve decided to launch a new ongoing segment called Staff Insights where you can get to know our crew a little and hear some of their personal thoughts and opinions on current trends and topics. To kick things off, we thought we’d get in on the Air Max Day fun by sharing some stories on our favorite Max models, so continue on to see who chose what and stay tuned for more with TEAM SN coming soon.
JOHN KIM
Favorite Model: Nike Air Max 1
Year of Original Release: 1987
Favorite Colorway: atmos “Safari” (2003)
Many sneaker enthusiasts answer the question of “which type of shoe started your hobby” in one of three ways – Basketball, Training, or Running. While I appreciate the earlier Air Jordans and Nike Basketball/Training designs, running shoes were far more essential to me, and I used them for all sports. While the Air Max 1 wasn’t the first Nike running shoe I fell in love with, it’s the reason why I love the sneaker culture as a whole. I was reintroduced to the silhouette in the early 2000s and at the time, general releases were less than $80 and they almost always went on sale. It didn’t hurt to love a shoe that was so affordable and available in relative abundance.
Amidst all the affordable pairs that were around was the atmos x Air Max 1 “Safari”. This colorway was unlike anything else out there and sneaker collaborations were still a new concept at the time. It was the first sneaker I truly hunted for because it was quite rare and there was only a small handful of resources to purchase overseas-exclusive sneakers (eBay being the best bet). Even through several wears, the shoe still looks good to this day. The Japan-based atmos crew surely delivered with this one and it’s the reason why a big portion of my personal sneaker collection is the Air Max 1.
AARON HOPE
Favorite Model: Nike Air Max Deluxe
Year of Original Release: 2000
Favorite Colorway: Antarctia/Orange Peel-Black-Photo Blue (2000)
I had copped multiple colorways of both Air Jordans XIII and XIV in both mid and lowtop forms, but I was one and done on the XV. I remember buying these Deluxes on a Friday half day from school on the same day I grabbed Chu-Chu Rocket for the Dreamcast. I found it much easier to wear dark denim with this first Air Max Deluxe colorway than the nearly all-black AJXVs. And there’s something about those late 90s full-length Max soles; both the reassuringly solid heel corner and I just love squishing the little Swoosh bubble with my thumb.
BRENDAN DUNNE
Favorite Model: Nike Air Max 90
Year of Original Release: 1990
Favorite Colorway: “Crepe” (2004)
My favorite silhouette in the wide range of footwear with an adjustable viscoelastic unit (As the original patent filing for the Nike Air Max 1 describes it) is the Air Max 90. To me, the shoe was the first true sequel in the line. Sure you had the Air Max Light hit stores a year prior, but that shoe didn’t do too much to evolve the aesthetics built upon by the ’87. The ’90 just has that immortally quick look that still manages to look futuristic today – thanks in no small part to the Radiant Red or Infrared touches of its most famous colorway.
I think runners in general have a tougher job of lodging themselves into pop culture or sneaker culture or whatever than basketball sneakers do, as there isn’t the same clout of associated athletes and moments. That the ’90 was able to do so is a testament to the power of both Tinker and the Swoosh at the time – it’s insane to think of the level that Tinker was operating on at the time with this pair coming in such close proximity to other bangers like the Air Huarache and the Air Jordan 5. Also helping out the shoe in my mind is that when I was first getting into sneakers the “Infrared” was earmarked as one of those hallmark release that you had to have in your rotation.
It’s a tough task to whittle things down to my absolute favorite but I’ll put the “Crepe Pack” pair up there for now. The “Infrared” has lost a little bit of its luster thanks to its infinitely retroed status, but a weirdo release like the Crepe seems safe from that fate as you can’t really expect them to come back anytime soon. The material selection and the whole pack execution across the Burst and the AM1 just proved that Nike could come up with special looking sneakers a decade ago without the help of a sneaker boutique or some elaborate backstory. I loved the whole approach of taking a model that historically looked so techy thanks to that angular build, and rebuilding it with the subtle colors and the hippie hemp sections that sort of felt like an antithesis to the “Infrared”.
PATRICK JOHNSON
Favorite Model: Nike Air Max 180
Year of Original Release: 1992
Favorite Colorway: “Ultramarine” (1992)
My favorite sneaker in the Nike Air Max lineage has to be the Nike Air 180. It took the visible air unit and completely revamped it, using an incredible amount of Max Air under the entire midsole – the shoe used 50% more air than any previous model. The silhouette debuted in 1992 backed by a rather expensive ad campaign headlined by George Lucas’ Industrial Light and Magic company that made the shoe as memorable as its original colorways, and then just like that, it disappeared for a number of years while retros of the Air Max 1, 90, and 95 continued to flourish.
So while this might be one of the most slept on of any of the Air Max models, the colorways were anything but subtle. They always had just the right amount of head-turning vibrance like my personal favorite in the OG “Ultramarine” scheme. It utilized just the right combination of infrared and royal blue atop a white base. It also remains to be one of the most comfortable runners I’ve ever laced up.
JORDAN HAGEDORN
Favorite Model: Air Max 96
Year of Original Release: 1996
Favorite Colorway: White/Obsidian-Scream Green (1996)
One of the more underrated, slept on, overlooked and forgotten shoes in the Air Max line also happens to be one of my favorites: the Air Max 96 in the White/Obsidian-Scream Green colorway. The AM96 has solidified its cultural place in footwear history as the model sandwiched between two extremely popular sneakers—the Air Max 95 and Air Max 97. But to me, the 96 is one of the most interesting and obscure models in the Air Max line.
Released in 1996, these boast some pretty sick design cues. They feature well-placed mesh underlays along the upper with a shield shaped toe box and strategically lined up midsole color blocking. Hits of reflective 3M material on the shoe include the protruding Air Max logo on the back and the piping that runs along the upper below the laces. I dig the Scream Green visible air bags and the PSI numbers of the visible air bags being listed on the outsole add a never before seen, unique touch.
A lot of people forget that the Air Max 96 was originally featured in two Nike print ads, alongside legendary Olympic Gold medalists Michael Johnson and Jackie Joyner-Kersee in 1996. Surprisingly, only two men’s and two women’s colorways hit in 1996 and the model has yet to be re-released in its original form, making it one of the hardest to come by original Air Max models out there.
AARON KR.
Favorite Model: Nike Air Max 95
Year of Original Release: 1995
Favorite Colorway: Black/Safety Orange-White (1997)
I’ll preface this by noting that the Air Max 1 is by far my favorite model in the series, but in the interest of having some variety here, I was happy to show some love to the 95. Few designs have ever dropped my jaw quite like the original Air Max 95. At the time of its debut, the yearly Air Max offering was nearly as eagerly anticipated as the annual Air Jordan shoe, and each time, Nike was outdoing themselves with their technology and style innovations.
The Air Max 95 was certainly no exception and is arguably the Air Max line’s most perfect marriage of form and function. It had a super-intricate full-length cushioning system and the most visible Air ever seen on a shoe, but even more interesting was the multi-layered human anatomy-inspired upper design and the complex gradient grey color blocking that made it look like no shoe that had ever come before it.
I never had a pair in 1995, but Nike released the gradient grey with bright orange accents in 1997. I was a freshman at Syracuse at the time, so needless to say, the color combo made them a must-have despite the high pricetag and a serious lack of funds. Thanks to a friend’s FinishLine discount, the blow was softened a bit and I wore these until the bubbles squeaked and the uppers looked like they’d been through the apocalypse. Unlike so many others that I wish I held onto, I actually still have that pair as a reminder of a great era in sneakers and life.
