Nike Air Max 1: everything you want to know

The year 1987 had many moments we will always remember. The Michael Jackson song ‘Bad’ hit the charts and The Simpsons first aired on television.

Yet something else happened that we will never forget: Nike Air released its very first Nike Air Max. Up to today, this revolutionary shoe still influences the whole wide world and that is why we set out the facts of the Nike Air Max 1 for you.

Nike Air Max 1 history

Many people think that the story of the Nike Air Max 1 begins with the Nike designer Tinker Hatfield, but it all started with Marion Frank Rudy. The inventor and engineer of aerospace figured out how to pump air into a sack and incorporate this into a trainer’s sole. The man had worked at NASA for years. He showed his invention to many large brands, but no brand thought that the ‘airbag’ would have potential. He was rejected time after time, until he visited Nike.

And that is where Tinker Hatfield shows up. For a couple of years, Hatfield had been working as an architect at the Nike Campus in Oregon, when he was asked to design a shoe in 1985. In Paris, the Centre George Pompidou inspired him. The Pompidou’s architects had the intent to turn the building inside out and Hatfield was fascinated by this. He sketched a shoe that shows the inside of the sole. 

And there it was in 1987, the Nike Air Max 1; the first trainer with visible Air Units. The Air construction, invented by Rudy, was previously used on the Nike Tailwind, but the Nike Air Max 1 was the first trainer that really made it visible. With the Tailwind, it was all about trust, but the Nike Air Max 1 was a worldwide revolution.

Not only the trainer was revolutionary, but the Nike Air Max 1 commercial was also just as revolutionary. For the commercial, the brand choose The Beatles’ song ‘Revolution’ (how appropriate!). Famous athletes like John McEnroe, Bo Jackson and Michael Jordan were featured in this commercial to propagate the Nike name. 

Characteristics Nike Air Max 1

When Tinker Hatfield designed the Nike Air Max 1, he had requirements that the shoe had to meet in mind. Ventilation, a perfect fit and flexibility are some of these requirements. Also, the shoe had to look completely different from other ‘80s trainers.   

To incorporate the Air Unit in the sole, Hatfield made a flexible, elastic and cushioning shoe. An Air Unit is an air-filled bag incorporated in a foam sole. In 1987, a polyurethane coating was injected with sulphur hexafluoride, but since 2006 Nike has been using the eco-friendly resource Nitrogen. The Air Unit is only on the back of the Nike Air Max 1. This prevents you from putting too much pressure on your entire foot. You only put pressure on certain pressure points.

The original 1987 Air Max 1 has a mesh and suede upper. Mesh is a fabric that makes a shoe breathable. The trainers were first released with a red and blue coloured upper. These primary colours had to make sure that the trainers would stand out from the crowd. Now the Nike Air Max 1 is available in nearly all colours, but Sport Red and Varity Blue are the original colours.

Popularity of the Nike Air Max 1

You probably remember them: men in tracksuits with a pair of Nike Air Max 1 on their feet. Back in the ‘90s, the Rave Scene gravitated towards the Nike Air Max 1. The Air-technique made jumping and dancing a lot easier. Back then, the popularity of the Nike Air Max 1 suffered from the association with the Rave scene. But the trainers survived and are now considered as a true fashion statement.

It is quite remarkable that the Nike Air Max 1 is still selling like hotcakes. Back in 1987, the trainers were innovative, but since then the fashion industry has seen so many new developments. Usually, the popularity of a shoe drops as soon as a new model is released, but this does not apply to the Nike Air Max 1. With the Nike Air Max 1, Nike has truly succeeded in developing an iconic and timeless shoe.

Later releases of the Nike Air Max 1

The original Nike Air Max 1 had a mesh and suede upper. In 1988, a year after the first release, the trainers were re-released in a leather version. In 1992, Nike repeated this. It wasn’t until 1995 that the Nike Air Max 1 with a mesh and suede upper made a comeback.

The original design was well-stored and no adjustments were made until 1992. In this year, Nike released a retro-style Nike Air Max 1. After this Nike decided to play with the design and added a jewel swoosh (a shiny Nike logo) on the Nike Air Max 1 in 1996.  The following year, Nike embroidered a mini swoosh on the Nike Air Max 1’s front foot. Today the Nike Air Max 1 is released in many colourways and the swoosh variations are often altered. 

Inspiration for next Air Max models

Since 1987, many new Air Max models have been released and they are all based on the Nike Air Max 1. In other words: all models of the Nike Air Max collection would not exist without the famous 1. Indirectly they are all connected to the first Air Max trainers, but some models look more like their predecessor than others. We can say with certainty that the Nike Air Max Light, the Nike Air Max 90, the Nike Air Max 360 and the Nike Air Max Zero are all directly inspired on the Air Max 1.

The Nike Air Max Zero also has a remarkable story. Actually, these were the first trainers that Hatfield designed as the first Air Max, but the technique back then did not allow to produce the upper. In 2015 Nike released the original design, now named Zero. The Zero’s first colourway was yellow, the last primary colour that was missing on the Air Max 1. 

Fun facts

• Your whole family can wear the Air Max 1 since they run from size 1K to 13.
• Barack Obama is a huge fan of the Nike Air Max 1. The former president of the USA owns at least one pair and loves wearing them during sports.
• The Nike Air Max 1 was first known for causing sweaty feet. Luckily this is proven to be incorrect. Without any concern, you can take off your Air Max 1 and not be worried about nasty smells.
• The Nike Air Max 1 is the only trainer with a book. Matt Stevens started the MAX100 as a personal project, but the book became a collector’s item for trainer fans.