Nike Air Max

Air Max is a revolutionary footwear cushioning technology created by sports athletics brand Nike. The idea of encapsulating Air into a midsole was first thought up by Marion Frank Rudy, an aerospace engineer. He presented his idea to Nike founder Phil Knight in 1977, who was very intrigued by the idea after testing a prototype running shoe. Air cushioning was used in Nike running footwear as far back as 1978 with the Air Tailwind running shoe. However, the Air was not visible as it was embedded into the sole.

Air Max didn’t come into the picture until 1987. Footwear designer Tinker Hatfield introduced the idea of making the Air cushioning visible to the eye, doing so on the Air Max 1 running shoe. At the time, running footwear was extremely plain, so he chose to do something completely different to align with the changing times of pop culture. Since then, a long history of running shoes have released, many named after the year they were released. These shoes are considered extremely important to sneaker culture as many collectors searched far and wide for limited editions and collaborations with Parra, Sean Wotherspoon, and atmos.

Since its inception, the visible Air revolution has expanded beyond running models – including sports like basketball. Many sneakers with a visible Nike Air bubble can be considered “Air Max,” but modified versions of the technology from over the years have launched with different names. The most popular retro sneakers under the line are the AM 1, the Air Max 90, and Air Max 95. Most of Nike Running’s marquee performance shoes no longer rely on the revolutionary technology, opting for a combination of responsive foams, full-length Air units, and Zoom Air bubbles. In 2024, two new models entered the family with the Nike Air Max Plus Drift and Nike Air Max Dn, the latter silhouette receiving a massive spotlight in the first half of the year as it made its official debut.

Nike’s modern offerings are more lifestyle-focused than before, leaving original designs from the game-changing family to enjoy proper retros, limited editions, and special collaborations.

Nike Air Max

The Nike Air Max 270 React ENG Adapts The Air Max 95’s Neon Colorway

It’s not uncommon for Beaverton to dig into their historical file cabinet to use previous successful models and colorways to inspire their newer footwear generations....

By Elliot Santiago January 24, 2020
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Nike’s “Future Swoosh” Pack Imagines The Logo For The Next Generation

Nike’s second chapter of their “Evolution of the Swoosh” collection marks yet another exploration of their most recognizable feature, embellishing it with inspirations surrounding the...

By Michael Le November 14, 2019
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Nike’s “Time Capsule” Pack Revisits Retro Shoe Ads

From now through the month of December, Nike will be releasing various collections dedicated to celebrating their iconic Swoosh logo as part of Chapter 2...

By Elliot Santiago November 14, 2019
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Nike’s “Swoosh Pack” Includes A Kids-Exclusive “Dunk It” Collection

Nike’s legendary Swoosh continues to be one of the most recognizable logos to date, immortalizing the brand itself as well as Carolyn Davidson whose graphic...

By Michael Le November 14, 2019
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Nike Continues Its Swoosh Pack Collection With The “Legend Of Her”

Always fishing for ways in which they can highlight their classic insignia, Nike has just announced their latest Swoosh Pack that will include four collections...

By Elliot Santiago November 14, 2019
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Where To Buy The Nike Air Max 270 React “Hyper Jade”

Fusing two of their more notable innovations, Beaverton is set to release quite a deep variety of Air Max 270 Reacts, doubling up on cushion...

By Michael Le July 11, 2019
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The Nike Air Max 270 Combines Cool Grey And Blue Fury

An argument can certainly be made that Nike’s Air Max 270 silhouette was one of the Swoosh brand’s most influential models in 2018, serving as...

By Ben Felderstein January 21, 2019
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The Nike Air Max 270 Arrives In Grey And Persian Violet

Six months into the life of the Air Max 270, it has firmly cemented itself as one of Nike’s most popular new silhouettes with the...

By Ben Felderstein August 20, 2018
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Where To Buy: Nike Air Max 270 “Dusty Cactus” and “Ultramarine”

Nike is finally releasing these two popular Air Max 270 styles inspired by the original colorways of the Air 180 and Air Max 93, the two shoes...

By Sneaker News March 21, 2018
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