Patrick Johnson 
The sentiment that Tinker Hatfield created Nike Air is an often misinterpreted one in Nike’s storied history. What Tinker inevitably brought to the forefront was exposing Nike Air with the help of Nike’s Director of Cushioning Innovation, David Foreland on the Nike Air Max 1 in 1987. The underlying technology dates back all the way to 1978 thanks to the introduction of the Nike Tailwind. And today, Nike showcases the near-three decade history of their ‘royal family’ of silhouettes donning a visible air unit with a timeline of how it all happened. Like most great inventions, the results were stumbled upon by mistake. In the mid-80s the encapsulated air units were actually being downsized inside of the shoe’s inner-workings until Forland discovered that by rotating the bags so that the seams were on the top and bottom instead of the perimeter, the cushioning system could be expanded. We know how the rest of the story goes – the technology has been at the forefront of Nike’s need to be innovative, giving runners and lifestyle aficionados alike the maximum comfort in more lightweight forms. And after a brief preview of the upcoming Nike Air Max 2016 not too long ago, we know that the Swoosh will continue to broaden the technology’s horizons well into the future. Be sure to stick around after the break for a better view of some notable silhouettes that championed visible air throughout the years as we lead up to Air Max Day and head over to Nike News for the full story.
