Through a collaboration between STREETOPIA and Artwalk, and also in anticipation of the Air Max Day, a celebration which is annually held on March 26, we have prepared a special article for athletes and fans of the brand showcasing the evolution of the Air Max technology in every silhouette, from its original creation to the present day.
If we look back in the 70s, the time when Nike Tailwind 79 was released as the first model equipped with the Air technology incorporated in the sole, we can clearly perceive the changes in several aspects in the culture of shoes consumption. Due to the impact of the initiative of David Forland, Nike's director of innovation and cushioning in 1985, to make a small adjustment to the seams of the air cushion so that it would be possible to provide an unobstructed view of the cushioning system and also thanks to the creation of the Air Max 97 by Tinker Hatfield, which would be enough to trigger the innovation of this technology in several different silhouettes during the decade of its launch, and also in the past thirty-four years.
Refer once again to AIR MAX 1 97 may sound repetitive, but it seems that this shoe was handpicked to revolutionize the sports shoe industry in a decade marked by so many changes. In the 90s, Hip-hop became a phenomenon, British music dominated the music charts along with the new wave of ‘dance music’ that emerged, more like a path leading to an awakening that fashion would soon have.
Streetwear was at its peak, sport was becoming constantly more present in the urban scene and the Air Max models contributed to the transformation in the style of every aspect of it, impacting with its new technological and aesthetic proposals in more colorful, robust and equally bold models. Larger and more visible pairs were indeed the face of the 90s along with the Air Max 90, Air Max Big Window, Air Max 95, Air Max 97 and also with the emergence of the air cushioning unit shaping the entire length of the foot, and later on, the Air Max Plus.
This era also a milestone in which new technologies changed the way people interacted. The Internet was no longer fiction in 1991, and the iMac was released in 1998 and platforms such as e-commerce started to pop-up and would forever change the way people create communities and buy and sell products. It was at that moment that the digital revolution allowed people to capture the transition of a lifestyle and a particular niche through shoes, becoming a global phenomenon and certainly a pop culture portrait.
From a creative standpoint, the organization and conception of the design, choice of materials used (having a sustainable approach), are frequent elements in this process and precisely the answer to the success of the brand throughout these years. This is what happened, for example, when the Air Max 720 was launched in 2019, it was one of the biggest launches of the brand, its goal was to preserve the design of the Air Max line, but with one of the largest cushioning units ever made, featuring a more futuristic look with comfort enhancement for everyday use.
Still maintaining the brand’s modern aspect and contemporary design, another interesting silhouette worth mentioning is the Nike Vapormax Flyknit, a model launched in 2020. Known as one of the most sustainable models of the brand, 50% of its production is composed of recycled material, the air cushioning is also manufactured with 75% of recycled materials.
The work and research that the brand has been developing over these years through this technology, means the creation of new forms, sensations and a constant wave at the future, in addition to being a triggering factor for the industry to also come up with new solutions for the segment.
Don't miss the new launches of the Max Air product line and so many other silhouettes at www.artwalk.com.br