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

Nike Adds A Collapsable Heel To The Kid’s Air Max 270 Go

Over the past decade, NIKE, Inc. has made a push to include the youngest sneaker fans in its plans. In addition to offering popular Air...

By Jovani Hernandez March 3, 2023
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The Nike Air Max 270 Gets Doused In “Triple Pink”

In tandem with the Nike Air Presto, The Swoosh is placing a brightly colored stamp on the end of their summer run through Air-filled cushioning...

By Jared Ebanks September 4, 2022
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The Nike Air Max 270 Appears In Vibrant Yellow

The Nike Air Max 270 has been one of the brand’s most commercially-successful releases of the past five years. And while it’s no longer the...

By Jovani Hernandez October 5, 2021
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The Nike Air Max 270 Returns For The Encouraging “Do You” Pack

For decades, Nike has preached to “Just Do It,” “It” being anything from sports to brave displays of activism. And while often echoed with resounding...

By Michael Le June 25, 2021
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Turf Orange And Stadium Green Liven Up This GS Nike Air Max 270

Often sporting bright pops of color, the Nike Air Max 270 is bound to fulfill summer footwear needs. For a newly-released GS exclusive, the Max...

By Jasmine Tang May 23, 2021
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Small Swoosh And Bright Hues Reappear On An Upcoming Nike Air Max 270 React

The Nike Air Max 270 arrived at the sneaker scene as an eye-catching silhouette noted for the tallest Air unit to be seen yet. Only...

By Jasmine Tang May 9, 2021
1439

Green Strike And Aquamarine Land On A Black Nike Air Max 270

With spring in full swing, neon colors are pretty much expected when it comes to new footwear releases. A newly-released Nike Air Max 270‘s take...

By Jasmine Tang April 18, 2021
4464

Silver And Gold Come Together On The Nike Air Max 270 Essential

While mixing silver and gold is usually seen as a sin in the fashion bible, Nike dares to break the rules and does so stylishly....

By Jasmine Tang April 16, 2021
23424

The Nike Air Max 270 Reprises Another USA-Friendly Colorway

Although the Nike Air Max 270 is no longer the brand’s latest lifestyle-oriented model, it continues being a great-seller for the North American conglomerate. Recently,...

By Jovani Hernandez April 14, 2021
7943