A CELEBRATION OF AIR MAX IN FIVE BUBBLES

28 March 2022

In celebration of Air Max Day, END. shines a light on five standout pairs from the legendary archives.

A Celebration of Air Max in Five Bubbles

Nike Air Max turned 35 this year — a milestone that has seen the line grow from strength to strength, cementing its position as one of the irremovable cornerstones of the global sneaker community.

It all started with architect-turned-sneaker-designer Tinker Hatfield, who decided to further the technology used in the Air Tailwind that was first introduced in 1978. That revolutionary shoe was designed to improve athlete performance as well as comfort — an achievement made possible by former NASA engineer, Frank Rudy, and his pioneering Air cushioning technology. This involved placing pressurised air inside a tough yet flexible bag in the sneaker’s sole unit, providing a membrane that compressed on impact to provide cushion and support for runners.

In 1987, Tinker Hatfield decided to take this revolutionary idea a step further, applying his architectural interests — the inside-out structure of the Pompidou Centre in Paris, to be precise — to Nike’s cutting-edge Air technology. The result was the Air Max 1 — a revolutionary sneaker not just in terms of the technology used, but the aesthetics: the first Nike sneaker that exposed those technical underpinnings for all to see at the sole unit. But this was just the beginning; in the decades that followed, the Air Max line would expand and become evermore experimental, with icons like the 90, 95 and 97, to name a few.

With “A Celebration of Air Max in Five Bubbles”, END. spotlights a selection of sought-after releases from the Air Max archives to commemorate Air Max Day 2022.

Nike Air Max 95 "Neon"

1995 saw the year Nike debuted the Air Max 95: the legendary, Sergio Lozano-designed sneaker that took the experimental aesthetic to a whole new level. The uppers were anatomically inspired — taking influence from ribs, vertebrae and muscles — while the chunky sole was just as bold, with a double helping of exposed Air cushioning. Equally as striking was the colourway that marked the 95’s debut: a mixture of gradient grey hues and vibrant, neon yellow accents, otherwise known as “Neon”. That colourway would go on to represent the most sought after of the AM95 releases, re-appearing — much to the delight of fans — on several occasions following that original launch, with the most recent arriving in 2020.

Nike Air Max 90 "Bacon"

When it comes to the Air Max 90, few colourways are as iconic as the “Bacon”. It first released in 2004 following a collaboration between Nike and New York-based sneaker boutique, Dave’s Quality Meat, with various shades of pink, brown and white used throughout to mimic the the colour of bacon. The sneaker also returned in 2021, boasting the same colours and details that made the OG such a fan favourite.

Nike Air Max 90 Trail

The Air Max 90 Trail released in 2007, following fanfare caused by leaked images of sample pairs. The sneaker represented a seamless fusion of Air Max and ACG, fusing the uppers of an Air Max 90 and an Air Humara to the sole of a Zoom Talaria. The distinctive codes of the Air Max 90 remained ever present, like that heart-shaped heel plaque and that sidewall Swoosh, only the appearance was much more rugged and outdoor focused. The colourway was typical of the bold palettes synonymous with ACG, too, combining shades of blue and black with vibrant orange accents.

Nike x Off-White Air Max 97 “The Ten”

In 2017, Off-White and Nike debuted “The Ten”: a collection comprised of ten iconic silhouettes transformed to reflect Virgil Abloh's penchant for industrial aesthetics — with each one designed to look like they were part-way through the construction process. Part of that collection was a rework of the legendary Air Max 97, which saw the iconic lines of the sneaker blurred and smoothened with seamless uppers, as well as quotation marks and hang tag detailing that gave Abloh’s still-in-progress aesthetic. The Swoosh was reworked, too, and supersized on the lateral sidewalls, though the sole unit remained as it always did, with that full-length Air Max cushioning as present as ever.

Nike x Sean Wotherspoon Air Max 1/97

In 2017, and in preparation for Air Max Day 2018, Nike invited 12 creatives to deliver their own spin on Air Max, with the designs then provided to the public for a chance to vote on which shoe would be released. The winner was Sean Wotherspoon’s Air Max 1/97: a sneaker that completely transformed the iconic shoe, utilising elements of the past to propel it into the future. The AM97's undulating uppers were reworked using corduroy in various mismatched hues — nodding to the Round Two founder’s penchant for unconventional materials — while the sole unit was switched out and replaced with an Air Max 1’s. Other notable details included removable patches on the tongues, as well as a mini Swoosh embroidered toward the toebox.

AIR MAX DAY 2022 PROGRAM