You may or may not be a shoe enthusiast, but chances are that you, just like us, cannot deny the love for trainers anymore. Especially Nike Air Max makes your heart beat faster. The Air Max may be the Chanel among shoes; timeless, endlessly popular and a classic in shoe history. Even though there are often newly released, the golden oldies are overall the most popular ones. Some Nike Air Max icons have celebrated their 30th anniversary, but remain remarkably young (and show no signs of aging!) and popular. These are the 5x most iconic Nike Air Max trainers of all time and must-haves for everyone.
Nike Air Max 1
The story of Nike Air Max begins with number 1: the oldest and yet one of the most popular trainers of the sports and lifestyle brand. In 1987 Nike Air Max 1 was launched, designed by Tinker Hatfield and inspired by the Centre Pompidou in Paris. It was the very first pair of trainers with the Air Unit, a with air-filled sole, shown on the outside. The Nike Air Max 1 was the start of a revolution. Up to today, Nike yearly releases a new version of the Air Max. Even though the Nike Air Max 1 made its entrance decades ago, the trainers are still insanely popular. Especially in the UK, since the Nike Air Max 1 is one of the best-selling trainers! Not only the Brits are fans, even the former president of the United States, Barack Obama, owns at least one pair.
Nike Air Max 90
After the first Air Max, everything was about the bigger, the more extreme and the more comfort. The Nike Air Max 90, first released in 1990, shoe this with the enlarged and reinforced visible Air Unit at the heel. Among other things, the original colourway consisting of white, black, cool grey and fiery red, accentuated the Air Unit. The Nike trainer is not only one of the favourites of people from all walks of life, Nike especially designed a pair of the Air Max 90 for the American president George H.W. Bush. Although we now know these iconic trainers as Air Max 90, they were formerly known as Nike Air Max III.
Nike Air Max 95
The Nike Air Max 95 could not be missing from the list of iconic Air Max trainers. This type is one of the most worn streetwear trainers of all time. No matter how popular the Air Max 95 are now, back in 1995, the release of the AM 95 was not a success. This was mainly due to the original colourway, with a black coloured outsole. Back then, black soles were highly unusual, but they did have an essential function: while running, you didn’t have to worry about mud splatter on your brand new Air Max. The Nike Air Max 95 is based on the nature of Oregon (USA), the walls of the Grand Canyon and the anatomy of the human body. Now, these trainers are immensely popular, especially among women and the hip-hop community. This last is proven by the lyrics of ‘Hate it or love it’, in which rap-artist The Game states: ‘I’ll kill you if you try me from my Air Max 95.’
Nike Air Max 97
With the Air Max 95 much alive in the memory, in 1997 Nike decided it was time for a change. And the Nike Air Max 97 gained as much popularity as its predecessor. The sporty looks combined with an Air Unit from toe to heel were welcomed with open arms. New to the 97 was the hidden lace system, just like the reflecting lines on the upper. The original colourway was ‘Silver Bullet’, and the story goes that the first version of the Nike Air Max 97 was based on the eponymous Japanese trains. The real inspiration is a lot simpler; the design of the 87 was based on the metal frame of a mountain bike.
Nike Air Max 270
The Nike Air Max 270 may be the youngest on this list, the Air Max 270 is already a true icon. The 270 is the first trainer within the Air Max collection that was released as a lifestyle shoe instead of a running shoe. The Nike Air Max 270 was launched in 2018 and one of the characteristics is that the Air Unit can be seen from 270 degrees. The Nike Air Max 270 is inspired by various predecessors, such as the Nike Air Max 93. The trainers were originally named 273, a combination of the source of inspiration and number of degrees that show the Air Unit, but eventually it was named 270. Even the height of the Air Unit was unique back then; never ever was an air cushion this high, no less than 320mm!
