Nike Air Max 1
336 articlesThe shoe that launched the extraordinary Air Max range.
- Nike
- Air Max 1 '86 x Jacquemus
- "Sail & Summit White"
- Nike
- Air Max 1
- "Aster Pink"
- €97.49
- Nike
- Air Max 1 '87
- "Dark Raisin & Hydrangeas"
- €149.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1
- "Olympic"
- €149.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1 '87
- "Metallic Platinum & Pink Rise"
- €104.49
- Nike
- Air Max 1 '86 Premium
- "Powerwall BRS"
- €144.49
- Nike
- Air Max 1 '87
- "Pure Platinum & Light Smoke Grey"
- €160
- Nike
- Air Max 1 Essential
- "White & Armory Navy"
- €112.49
- Nike
- Air Max 1 Essential
- "White & Black"
- €149.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1 Essential
- "University Gold"
- €135.49
- Nike
- Air Max 1 Essential
- "Batman"
- €112.49
- Nike
- Air Max 1 Essential
- "Flax & British Tan"
- €112.49
- Nike
- Air Max 1 Essential
- "Phantom & Khaki"
- €127.49
- Nike
- Air Max 1 '86 OG
- "Camo & Light Lemon Twist"
- €109.49
- Nike
- Air Max 1
- "Burgundy Crush & Picante Red"
- €82.49
- Nike
- Air Max 1 Premium
- "Hangul Day"
- €169.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1
- "Light Army"
- €135.49
- Nike
- Air Max 1
- "Guava Ice"
- €104.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1
- "Dusty Cactus"
- €90.49
- Nike
- Air Max 1
- "White & Black"
- €120.49
- Nike
- Air Max 1 '86 Premium
- "Royal Blue"
- €80.49
- Nike
- Air Max 1
- "Light Iron Ore & Flat Pewter"
- €159.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1
- "Gym Red & Light Crimson"
- €159.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1 '86 OG x Eastside Golf
- "Everyone’s Game"
- €189.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1
- "Photon Dust & Wolf Grey"
- €149.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1 '87
- "Glacier Blue"
- €111.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1 '86 OG
- "Museum Masterpiece"
- €127.49
- Nike
- Air Max 1 '87
- "Leopard"
- €159.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1 ‘Athletic Department’
- "Deep Royal Blue"
- €119.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1 '86 OG G
- "White Gum"
- €169.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1
- "Deep Royal Blue"
- €150
- Nike
- Air Max 1 Premium
- "Urawa"
- €146.49
- Nike
- Air Max 1 Crepe
- "Soft Grey"
- €87.49
- Nike
- Air Max 1 Corduroy
- "Baltic Blue"
- €68.49
- Nike
- Air Max 1
- "Magma Orange"
- €90.49
- Nike
- Air Max 1 SC
- "Clear Jade"
- €77.49
- Nike
- Air Max 1
- "Summit White & Pink"
- €87.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1
- "Platinum Violet"
- €127.49
- Nike
- Air Max 1
- "Baroque Brown"
- €127.49
- Nike
- Air Max 1
- "Fuchsia Dream"
- €60.49
- Nike
- Air Max 1 '86 OG G
- "Team Red"
- €169.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1 '86 OG G
- "Wolf Grey & Bright Cactus"
- €135.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1 '86 OG G
- "Black & White "
- €169.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1 '86 Premium
- "Dark Obsidian"
- €144.49
- Nike
- Air Max 1 '86 Premium
- "University Red"
- €160
- Nike
- Air Max 1 '86 x Jacquemus
- "Mystic Red"
- Nike
- Air Max 1 Premium
- "Dark Smoke Grey"
- Nike
- Air Max 1
- "Grand Piano"
Air Max 1
In the mid-1980s, Nike was on a mission to design a shoe which would show off its comfortable Air cushioning. However, the task was not so easy, and the brand’s designers struggled to find a workable solution. A fresh perspective was needed, so architect Tinker Hatfield was recruited to take on the challenge. He was sent to Paris to find inspiration and returned with an idea based on the unconventional design of the famous Centre Pompidou building. The result was a bold new sneaker which came to be known as the Nike Air Max 1.
The key innovation on the Air Max was the oblong-shaped windows set into each side of the heel, which offered a view of the airbags inside. Some Nike employees were sceptical of Tinker’s design, questioning its structural stability and its eccentric look. However, the strong support of colleague David Forland was enough to see it go into production, particularly once the Air Max unit had been perfected. Even so, not long after the first pairs had been manufactured, it was found that the airbag would crack in cold conditions, and Nike quickly had to rework the design, giving it a smaller window that was stable enough to handle low temperatures.
When it came out in 1987, the Air Max 1 was marketed as a stylish running shoe with advanced cushioning. One famous advert featuring sports stars like John McEnroe and Michael Jordan highlighted its athletic abilities and used the famous Beatles track, Revolution, to signify a new era of footwear design. It was a massive success, and Nike soon decided to establish a whole line of sneakers based upon the Air Max concept. Meanwhile, it launched Tinker Hatfield’s career as a shoe designer, and he went on to create some of the brand’s most well-known silhouettes.
Although Nike is still doing innovative things with Air Max technology, the original shoe has never been forgotten. Over the years, it has been celebrated through memorable collaborations with the likes of atmos, Patta and Travis Scott, while alternative models like the Air Max Zero and the Air Max 1 ‘86 have helped to tell the incredible story behind the making of the first Air Max. This rich history puts the Nike Air Max 1 amongst the brand’s most iconic silhouettes as it continues to change the sneaker landscape to this day.