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

Classics Unboxed: See-Through Toeboxes With CLOT’s Crazy Nike Air Max 1

Chinese creative agency CLOT has had some rather strange Nike collaborations throughout its tenure teaming up with the Swoosh. Their most recent Nike creation brought...

By Patrick Johnson December 15, 2016
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Nike Soho Releases 100 Pairs Of Cork Air Max 1s

Surprise! Nike’s most recent shop, Nike SOHO, just released 100 cork-constructed Nike Air Max 1 pairs unannounced, and each comes equipped with an exclusive heel...

By Patrick Johnson December 8, 2016
9315

Nike Air Max 1 Essential “Blue Cap”

It may be winter, but this Nike Air Max 1 is trying to keep the sunshine alive with this refreshing colorway that looks much more...

By Zack Schlemmer December 4, 2016
6901

You Can Customize “What The” Pendleton Options On NIKEiD Today

We’ve seen some crazy options come to NIKEiD in the past, but nothing like this before. Today Nike announced that they’d be combining their patented...

By Patrick Johnson December 2, 2016
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Classics Unboxed: Parra’s Nike Air Max 1 “Amsterdam” Paid Homage To The City’s Infamous Underbelly

Dutch artist Parra’s Nike Air Max 1 “Amsterdam” collaboration remains one of the most sought after collaborative renditions of Tinker Hatfield’s iconic 1987 visible air...

By Patrick Johnson December 1, 2016
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A Detailed Look At NIKEiD’s Will Leather Goods Options

Nike Sportswear has been upping the ante on luxurious tonal leather options for some of their most iconic silhouettes for years now. The blending of...

By Patrick Johnson November 29, 2016
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Add The Nike Air Max 1 Premium “Metallic Silver” To Black Friday Releases

Nike Sportswear has a special women’s only Nike Air Max 1 release for Black Friday. Tinker Hatfield’s visible air gem burst onto the scene in...

By Patrick Johnson November 24, 2016
1638

Nike Gives The Air Max 1 Ultra The Triple Black Treatment

Just in case you didn’t already have enough “Triple Black” sneaker options, Nike Sportswear adds one more great option into the mi with this latest...

By Zack Schlemmer November 23, 2016
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Nike Air Max 1 Premium SE “Wolf Grey”

It looks like that interesting Nike Air Max 90 featuring unique new overlay panels won’t be the only one of its kind. Today we get...

By Zack Schlemmer November 5, 2016
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