JD Sports | June 23, 2025
It’s the crown in the Swoosh line-up. The vision of one man. The flagbearer for others. The design that’s been keeping us on our toes for decades.
Wondering where it all started? How did Nike put the Air bubble into its shoe in the first place? And who was the mastermind that changed the footwear game?
We’ll get into that. And so much more. Here come the archives…
1978
Thought the Air Max unit was always visible? Not quite.
It was the Nike Air Tailwind that debuted during the 1978 marathon season in Hawaii that put the revolutionary cushioning in a full-length foam midsole. Above it, a sleek mix of mesh and suede delivered that retro runner look, while the exposed foam tongue delivered extra padding around your foot.
Underneath the Air Max tech, a rubber Waffle outsole kept runners gripped.
1987
Originally designing offices, stores and showrooms (wondering where this is going?), he used his architectural background to make the leap to trainers.
A big gamble? It soon paid off.
Tasked with bringing Air technology to life by making it visible, a trip to Paris and the Centre Pompidou’s structure was Hatfield and Nike’s breakthrough.
Perfecting Air took time. But it was worth the wait. In ’87 the Air Max 1 dropped. ‘Cushioning that never ends’ was the tagline, and it’s delivered just that ever since.
1990
Launching in 1990 (the clue’s in the name), the Nike Air Max 90 quickly became the second legend in the line-up.
Originally known as the Air Max III until the millennium, the first edition of the AM90 had a bigger and bolder bubble than previous silhouettes. While a flex groove outsole and fresh eyelets added the extras to a fast-paced shape.
The first 90 landed in the signature ‘Infared’ shade. So iconic that it features on rereleased drops today.
1991
’91 brought the collaboration of Hatfield and AF1 designer Bruce Kilgore. Their creation? The Air Max 180. This unique silhouette highlighted Air Max technology from the outsole up to the midsole.
1993
Named after the year they were released (there’s a theme here), Nike’s Air Max 93 was the first Air Max to push the technology to its limits. 270 degrees of Air was inspired by plastic milk jugs, and the bigger and bolder unit gave the visible tech its signature name ‘The Bubble’.
1995
The trainer that took the sneaker game by storm. Designed by Sergio Lozano, the Nike Air Max 95 was inspired by the human body. The midsole was the base of the spine, the nylon eyelets were the ribs and the layered upper muscle fibres. Can you see his vision?
First launching in its Grey and Neon colour combo, it took the multiple units of the Air Max 2 to a new level, adding smaller units to the forefoot and the vibrant Air bag at the heel.
1996
A year after the AM95, Lozano’s next in the line-up drew more inspo from nature, this time from flowing ocean waves to the mesh and leather upper.
Regarded as a true Air Max icon, the Air Max 96 kept the same Max Air bag design as its predecess
1997
In ’97, Christian Tresser designed what many called The Silver Bullet.
Why? Well, the colour’s obvious. But the bullet bit comes from what people thought was the shoe’s inspiration of Tokyo’s ultra-fast bullet trains. The smooth and streamlined layers of mesh were actually drawn from water ripples in a pond.
Pushing boundaries. That’s what Nike do. And with the Air Max 97, history was made.
A major milestone in Air Max history – a full-length, dual-pressured Air bag. That’s right, we’re talking from the heel all the way to the toe.
1998
In the Air Max 98, Lozano brought the best of the 95 and 97 in one shoe.
The slightly bulkier upper mixed leather and mesh together, with lace loops on the forefoot and the full-length Max Air unit underfoot.
The same year, Tuned Air was introduced. This was a series of Air cushioning bags calibrated for different support yet max cushioning.
Designed by Sean McDowell, the Air Max Plus landed in gradient colourways inspired by Florida’s sunsets, while the shank plate is said to resemble a whale’s tail.
2015
Other models came and went, but when the Air Max 2015 landed, people took notice.
The Air Max 2015 took a stride back to its running roots. Pairing a full-length Air unit and the newly intro’d Flywire technology, these runners were lighter, more breathable and comfier than ever.
That same year, Nike’s Graeme McMillan found a sketch Hatfield had designed before the Nike Air Max 1 dropped, releasing the Air Max Zero based on these designs.
2017
Two years later, Nike made another breakthrough.
Foam? Forget about it. Rubber? Who needs that. The VaporMax unit was a durable and flexible 360-degree single-piece unit at the shoe’s base.
Designer Dylan Raasch was the inventor, and he fused the unit directly to an ultra-light and breathable Flyknit upper. It was like walking on Air. Literally.
2018
2018 saw the release of Nike’s Air Max 270. Made for streetwear over running, the modern silhouette took cues from the AM93 and AM180.
270 degrees of Max Air in the heel stood at its highest stack – 32mm.
2020
With the 30th anniversary of the Air Max 90 in sight, Nike paid homage to the icon with a futuristic take – the Air Max 2090.
Keeping features from the original, they went bigger underfoot. We’re talking 200% more Air than the AM90.
2021
2021 was the year of endless Nike Air Max silhouettes. But three stand out in the memory.
The Air Max Pre-Day took its influence from late ‘70s runners, featuring the Waffle rubber outsole and a mix of fabrics to the retro upper.
From running to athletics, the Air Max Dawn had a stripped back textile and suede-like upper, sat above a cored-out Air unit in a plush foam midsole.
It was back to lifestyle with the Air Max 2021. Its Air-Sole unit had a collapsible cage for an ultra-responsive ride that sprung back into position after every single step.
2022
The Air Max Flyknit Racer used the same reinforced Air unit seen on the Pre-Day but added the unchanged Flyknit upper first seen on the 2012 FK Racer.
Think performance meets the pavements. That’s the Nike Air Max FK Racer.
2023
The Nike Air Max Pulse had a similar look and feel of the AM 270, but with a point-loaded Air unit under the heel for extra bounce.
Channelling London’s underground music scene, the upper had bold layers of leather, plastic and mesh, making these a combo of street and sport.
2024
2024 arrived and so did a new dawn of Air. It was time to ‘Feel the Unreal’.
The Dn part? Dynamic Air.
A multitextured upper had a haptic print to showcase movement. Underfoot, the split foam midsole featured the Dynamic Air unit from the heel to the midfoot. Two sets of dual-pressure tubes shifted Air from the firmest point at the back to the softest at the front.
2025
The next evolution of Air. Nike’s Air Max Dn took a step closer to unreal motion.
A sculpted mesh upper had slashes to the sides, while they doubled the dual-pressure tubes to eight (yep, 8) for Dynamic Air that runs heel to toe.
Well, that brought back some memories.
Love the older models, or are you all about the latest in the line-up?
Either way, Nike’s created a sneaker legacy with the Air Max.
Fancy adding a pair to your rotation? We’ve got you, the family, everyone covered.
