Four words; Air, Bubble, Sneakers, Swoosh. These four words were brought to life in 1987 by the renowned Tinker Hatfield when he developed the renowned Nike Air Max. Thirty-four years later, the once-crazy concept of the infamous Nike Air Max continues to be the foundation of the staple sneakers we cannot get enough of.
The Air Max walks a fine line of the past, present and future, as it fuses classic designs with modern technology. Re-releases of classic colourways & designs such as the “Bred” & Safari” continue to pay homage to Nike’s previous achievements, ensuring that the franchise’s history is always inspired by its origins while still looking to the future.
Let’s take it back to 1990, where the Air Max 90 was developed and designed by Tinker Hatfield. First established as the Air Max III, the sneaker was then given a style name refresh & later was deemed the Air Max 90 in early 2000.
The 90; a staple in your wardrobe that oozes timeless style. Built for the race tracks, yet designed for street fashion, the Air Max 90 is loved by all, around the world for its unique design & comfort.
The 95, with the success of the Air Max 90 – Nike continued to develop the Air Max collection & released the Air Max 95. The sneaker brings a unique design with a subtle Swoosh logo on its upper and dons the infamous wave-like effect that we know and love today. This design was developed by taking inspiration from human anatomy and the eroding earth by Sergio Lozano.
“Third times a charm” and this line were ever so accurate with the release of the Nike Air Max 97. Continuing to evolve the Air Max range by pairing future tech with an iconic design with the introduction of the ‘Total Air’ unit, Nike went through multiple concepts before Christian Tresser finalised the design of the Air Max 97. Similar to the drawing board of inspiration of the 95, the 97 too drew inspiration from nature & a rippling pond with its ripple design on its side.
The sneakers were only sold for a year before the Air Max 98 was released. However, they were quickly reissued, with a gold edition landing in ’99, as their popularity surged throughout the late ‘90s. With Nike dropping new colour-ways and adaptations each year, the 97 will continue to be one of Nikes iconic collections.
Fast forward to February 2018, where the 270 was born. Renowned for being designed as the first 100% lifestyle Air Max sneaker, the Air Max 270 provides nothing but style & comfort. With more air than ever donning the largest heel pod used by Nike, it’s clear that the design of the initial Air Max 90 & Air Max 95, has done a complete 360 with the design of the Air Max 270.
2021, here we are & Nike did not disappoint with its release of the Air Max 2021. We could use a lot of superlatives to describe the Nike Air Max 2021. Incorporating recycled materials and a new dual-pressure Air-sole unit delivering a brand new level of comfort and topped off with a fresh new design, the future of air is here, with the Air Max 2021.
It wouldn’t make sense to write about our love for Nike & its innovations that continue to provide our feet with ultimate love, without providing you with a platform for you to kit yourself out in new kicks. Here at JD, we are proud to offer you a wide array of Nikes best Air Max offerings. With five different collections in a number of colourway’s (even some JD exclusives), we are sure you’ll find the Air Max for you.
