The history of the Air Max sole can be felt across all of Nike’s crop of recent sneakers. Iconic in almost every way it is hard to imagine how Nike would have evolved without its introduction. Tinker Hatfield’s original perception of how the Air max would become woven in the history of shoe design surely was not expected.
Yet in 1987 it was his invention, the Air Max 1, that had the greatest impact. Harnessed from a Nasa space programme by engineer Frank Rudy, the technology had at first never been perceived as a performance enhancing feature. Yet Hatfield’s re-application of this technology was both mindful and a timely reminder that innovation can come in all forms.
Fast forward to now and the evolution of the Air Max continues to dominate with the Air Max 270 on the horizon. Set to be launched on the 1st February, ahead of this year’s Air Max Day, the shoe notably has a few design enhancements. Taking its cues from the Air Max 93 and Air Max 180 its silhouette is slim while perforation on the upper allows for maximum comfort.
That said it is the sole itself that is the most defining aspect of the model. The Air max heel unit is the tallest ever made (at 32mmm) with the original colourway being an acute tone of pink, however this is not destined to be the only shade, as further colourways are on course to help the shoe to enter the lifestyle arena with ease.
NIKE.com
