Arguably the biggest month of the sneaker calendar, March has hit and we’re talking all things Swoosh. Not sure why? It’s Nike’s Month of Air; an annual celebration of Air Max innovation. 💨
Each year, Nike links up with sneakerheads across the globe to celebrate Air Max Day on March 26th. Throw it back to ’87 and this is the date that the brand dropped the Air Max 1 – the first trainer to come equipped with Air that you could see as well as feel.
In honour of visible Air, we’re taking a closer look at some of the most iconic silhouettes to rep Max Air. Not stoppin’ there, we’ve joined forces with British rappers Meekz (@meekz_manny) and Clavish (@clavish), who are showin’ you how to rep ‘em and letting us know what Air Max means to them. PLUS the chance to win a year’s worth of trainers over on TikTok!
Stay locked in!
Air Max 90
Just three years after the debut of the Air Max 1, Nike dropped the Air Max 90. Tinker Hatfield wanted to create a silhouette with chunkier midsole, a sleeker design and an even bigger Air window. This made it stand out from the low-riding runners at the time.
As well as having a pumped-up look, the Air Max 90 had a higher cut, which gave more support for running. This design gave the silhouette a look that was caught in-between the look of a runner and a basketball sneaker – meaning versatile performance that’s evolved over time to be at home on the streets.
Seen on Clavish, he’s let us in on whay Air Max 90’s mean to him…
“I recall the first time as a kid when I was gifted Air Max 90s for my birthday, I wore them to school and it gave me so much presence in the playground. I’ve loved the brand since and reminiscing now makes me laugh at the way people stared at me like I was a star.”
Air Max 95
In ’95, the brand turned to Nike ACG designer, Sergio Lozano. Rather than using a designer already on Nike’s running team, they recruited from a different category to get a fresh perspective. His brief? Simply to do something Nike had never seen before.
While the Air Max 1 was the first sneaker to ride on visible Air, the Air Max 95 was the first to sport Max Air in the forefoot – offering extra cushioning to runners at the time.
As repped by Manc-based rapper, Meekz, he said:
“I used to see people I look up to wearing Air Max 95s, running the block, ruling the world.”
Air Max 97
By 1997, Nike’s Air Max range was firmly established and the pressure was high to deliver another silhouette. This time, the brand turned to football boot designer; Christian Tresser.
Taking it back to basics, Tresser was inspired by water droplets hitting a pond, which lends itself to the rippled overlays on the upper of the Air Max 97. This time, Air Max technology got another new look, spanning the entire length of the trainer for the complete feelin’ of walking on Air.
Air Max 270
Launching early 2018, the Air Max 270 is Nike’s first trainer to use Air built purely for lifestyle, not performance.
This time the design team created brand new Air unit that stood at 32mm tall, which was the tallest Air bag to date. In previous shoes, Nike’s Air unit was built for speed and performance, so the unit needed to be smaller for a stable ride. However, Raasch’s design was 15% bigger than any other Air Max before it, taking Air up a notch to push comfort through the roof.
@jdofficial Wanna WIN a year’s supply of Air Max? 🔥 Show us how you get Maxxed Out with our #JDxNikeMaxxedOut ♬ OMEN – SPHERO, AOM
#JDxNikeMaxxedOut
Wanna’ win a year’s supply of Air Max?! Our latest TikTok challenge just dropped and we’re giving you the chance to win BIG.
We want you to show us how you get Maxxed Out with the #JDxNikeMaxxedOut effect 👀
For the chance to win, follow the steps below to enter! You must be wearing Air Max trainers and no other branded clothing, apart from Nike.
1. Go to the discover page
2. Look for our hashtag #JDxNikeMaxxedOut
3. Click into it to film using the branded effect and our #JDxNikeMaxxedOut track: OMEN
4. Step into the frame and show us your Air Max by kicking your sneakers to the screen
5. Impress us with your best moves!
6. When you’re ready to post, make sure you include @jdofficial and #JDxNikeMaxxedOut in your caption to be in with a chance of winning trainers for a year! 🔥
Competition runs from 26th–31st March. Terms & conditions apply.
Wanna’ join the celebrations? Check us out on TikTok and scroll all the latest Air Max now!
