The Nike Air Max 1 is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the greatest Nike sneakers ever made. Designed by the man, the myth, and the legend that is Tinker Hatfield, it was introduced in the late ’80s and single-handedly transformed trainer culture for good. In fact, even though the iconic silhouette has been around for almost four decades, it still looks exactly like it did back in the day – a testament to just how truly timeless it is.
However, even if you are one of the biggest sneakerheads in the entire universe, there’s probably still stuff about it that you have no idea of. So, in this article by Captain Creps, we’ll be going through five things about the Nike Air Max 1 that you probably didn’t know. Let’s get to it!
The Air Max 1 made its grand debut back in 1987, and believe it or not, it was the first model ever to make use of Nike’s critically-acclaimed Air Max technology. While many customers were scared that the exposed bubble would pop easily, they later realised that this it was actually made from a durable plastic and delivered nothing but unrivalled comfort and cushioning with every step. Air Max was so popular that it inspired coveted sneakers such as the Air Max 95, the Air Max 97, the Air VaporMax, and many more.
Before Tinker Hatfield became the innovative footwear designer that he’s known as today, he actually worked for Nike as an architect. For the Air Max 1, he nodded to his background by paying homage to The Centre Pompidou in Paris. Famous for its “inside out” design, this deconstructed aesthetic was what he had in mind when making Air Max tech an actual, physical thing that you could see and touch. Hatfield would take this theme one step further in 2018 by dropping a colourway that directly borrows the French building’s palette.
One of the main reasons why the “Bred 2.0” from 2023 was so hyped was because of the mini Swoosh. Embroidered across the lateral toe, pairs with this simple detail have become extremely sought-after over the years, and while they’re not as common as they used to be, it’s interesting to note that the first Air Max 1 to ever get this treatment was back in 1997. Pretty cool, huh?
Ever since it was introduced in 1987, the Air Max 1 has been blessed with hundreds (if not thousands) of collabs. But legendary Japanese retailer atmos was actually the first brand to work on its own version of the classic runner. Revealed back in 2002, it combined it with elements of the Air Safari, and it’s widely-considered to be one of the greatest colourways in the history of the universe.
While the Air Max 1 wasn’t the first Nike shoe to get retroed (that title actually belongs to the Air Force 1), it was actually shelved for a brief period before it was brought back in 1992. Not only did this reissue update the materials to make them significantly more durable, there were other changes too, including subtle tweaks to the midsole, outsole, and Swoosh.
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