The History of Nike Air Max

It wouldn't be correct to call yourself a sneakerhead if you don't have any Nike Air Max silhouettes in your rotation. Taking on a much more scientific, technological approach to the trainer style, 1971-born Nike revolutionised running trainers with the introduction of of their Air Max line.

The Beaverton brand was born from Bill Bowerman and his former student, Phil Knight, and pledged to take running and performance footwear in a new direction that hadn't been seen in the industry before. Whilst the rest of the US were focused on German brands such as Puma and adidas, Blue Ribbon Sports (the brand that came before Nike) imported Japanese footwear and introduced America to the other sportswear options out there. Despite being around since 1964, Nike - named after the winged goddess of victory - was born in 1971, and the brand quickly started to focus on producing their own performance-enhancing, optimised footwear.

The word 'Air' is synonymous with the Oregon-based brand's sneaker offering at this point, and has been for over 40 years now - but what does it mean? The Tinker Hatfield-designed Nike Air Max 1 was the first sneaker to expose Nike's Air unit, so likelihood is you'll recognise the Air bubble from the midsole of this silhouette and other Max designs since. The Air technology unit is constructed from urethane bags filled with high-density, pressurised Air that are lightweight yet tough, and add spring and structure to your step. Providing flexibility and comfort in abundance, it's no wonder that Nike aim to include Air technology in as many of their silhouettes as they can.

Designed by Frank Rudy, a former NASA engineer who was born in Ohio in 1925, Nike were the only shoe brand to put their faith in Rudy. The designer had pitched the Air bubble to 23 different companies before Phil Knight decided it was an excellent idea he wanted to jump on board with. It was even proven by scientists later on that athletes use less energy running in shoes with Nike Air technology cushioning, compared to those without.

In 1978, Nike released the first sneaker that used Air technology, the Nike Air Tailwind. The Air Tailwind was first used for the Honolulu Marathon before the brand released a limited 250 pairs of this technical shoe to a number of Hawaiian shoe stores. Despite the high (for the time) $50 price, the Air Tailwind sold out in 24 hours and was the beginning of the Nike Air Max legacy.

As previously mentioned, the first official use of Nike's Air technology was in the Air Tailwind from 1978, but it's not until nine years later we see the Swoosh brand use a visible Air unit in the midsole for the first time. Soon to celebrate its 35th anniversary, the Nike Air Max 1 is still one of the most-loved silhouettes of all time, and is arguably responsible for setting off the 'hype' surrounding Air Max and Nike sneakers in general.

The first colourway of the beloved AM1 was a "University Red/White" iteration, one that's been reused and recycled since on many a silhouette. Whilst designing sneakers in the decade prior to the '80s took a much more formal approach, the new era allowed for a more laid-back and street-savvy styles. The public were looking for something new, and sneakers that were functional but not necessarily stylish weren't cutting it any more. The Air Jordan 1 had just wowed the world in 1985 and now it was time for something new. The Air Max 1 made way for the Air Max models that came after and redefined the meaning of 'sneakers' up until now.

Following on from the Air Max 1, was the Air Max Light. Constructed with EVA foam, the AM Light weighed less than the OG Air Max, and confirmed that this was just the beginning of Nike's innovative sneaker-technology revolution.

Known as the 'Air Max 3' until 2000, the Nike Air Max 90 took a different approach and redesigned the Air Max silhouette we'd known up until this point completely. Combining mesh, TPU panelling and the iconic, grippy Waffle outsole, the AM 90 stood bright in the now-classic "Infrared" colourway, one that is still considered the best today. As popular as ever, Nike continue to surprise us with AM90 colourways and we're not bored yet!

Meaning 'Big Window', the Air Max BW again reimagined the shape of the Nike Air Max and treated fans to the biggest Air unit yet. With a chunkier silhouette, the design has stood the test of time and is having quite the year in 2021, thanks to Nike's focus on the silhouette for its 20th anniversary. Having re-released the original "Persian Violet" colourway, retailers sold out instantly, proving that Nike Air Max is as popular as ever, despite this being a more retro silhouette.

The Air Max 180 first released in a brightly pleasing "Ultramarine" colourway, which perfectly showed off the '92 release in the best light possible. Coming with Air cushioning on the outsole, it was apparent that Nike weren't short of ideas when it came to reimagining their Air Max silhouettes. Named aptly thanks to the 180-degree visible Air unit, the Oregon-based brand wanted to show their legendary Air bag off. This technology was later used on the Air Force 1, when Hatfield teamed up with AF1 legend, Bruce Kilgore.

Creatively named, like most of the AM silhouettes, the Air Max 93 first released in "Menthol" and was the first in the Nike Air Max series to display a coloured Air unit. Again, coming with an 180-degree Air unit, the Air Max 93 didn't lack comfort or bounce.

One of the lesser known Air Max shoes, the AM 94 was a hybrid silhouette taking parts of its predecessor, the Air Max 93, and the Air Max Light from five years before. Despite not being remembered as well as other styles, the Air Max 94 first released in one of the most popular colourways around today: "Court Purple". We were treated to a Size? exclusive re-release of this overlooked model in 2015, however for the most part this shoe has remained deep within Nike's archive.

The only Air Max to have never re-released, the Air Max 2 in "Teal", "White" and "Grey" was one of the last Air Max that Tinker Hatfield designed. It was also the first silhouette to display multiple units in its midsole, a feature that is now more commonly associated with the Nike Air Max 95.

The silhouette also came in a 'Light' version the same year, which arrived in a nautical "White" and "Blue Lagoon" colourway. The Air Max 2 Light was recently re-released as a general release and in collaboration with Atmos.

Closely following the Air Max 1 and Air Max 90, the Sergio Lozano-designed Nike Air Max 95 is one of the most iconic Air Max of all time. Inspired by the spine and anatomy of the human body, this was a complete new approach to the Air Max line-up, yet the risk definitely paid off for the Swoosh brand. First dropping in that classic "Neon" colourway, this iteration still flies off the shelves today.

The Nike Air Max 96 is one of the most underrated Air Max silhouettes of all time. Having seen a slight resurgence in 2021, the silhouette took running to the next level by providing an unrivalled Air-sole for the wearer. First released in a "White", "Obsidian" and "Green" iteration, the "Purple Dawn" has to be one of our favourites from recent years. This shoe is the pinnacle of '90s design and could be spotted on the feet of '90s icons such as Jennifer Aniston.

At the end of the decade, it became clear that the Air Max was been designed to improve its influence in the ever-growing hip-hop and streetwear scene. Many an Air Max fan will argue the original Nike Air Max 97 "Silver Bullet" is the best ever made, thanks to the evolution from Air bubble to full-length Air unit. Inspired by Japanese bullet trains, the Christian Tresser-designed trainer saw the industry begin to move away from being a niche interest for a rare few, to a global phenomenon.

The Air Max 98 saw a bold and exciting take on the Air Max 97 style (they share the full-length Air unit feature) and first released in a "Gundam" iteration. Even though it's taken a backseat in recent years following a collaboration with Supreme in 2016, the Nike Air Max 98 remains to have a stupendous following, thanks to its ties to the UK Grime scene and urban streetwear culture, whose popularity skyrocketed at the end of the '90s and start of the '00s.

The Nike Air Max Plus, or Nike TN Air or Tuned Air (call it what you like!), was designed by Sean McDowell in 1998 and first released in a "Hyper Blue" colourway. Housing multiple Air units, these Air Max sneakers took running to 100 and have released in a plethora of bright, gradient-hued colourways over the years.

Finishing up the 1990s, the Air Max Deluxe saw a dyed neoprene upper release in "Photo Blue" for the first time in '99 and contributed to the European rave scene that was booming at the time. This rich music history was used as inspiration for a collaboration with Skepta which dropped in 2018. If the Deluxe ever makes its way to our shoedrobes again, we'll definitely be partying like it's 1999.

Compared to the 1990s, the noughties had less to offer in terms of new silhouettes. However - why fix something that ain't broke? The public were still loving the silhouettes from the decade before, so there was no need to go crazy at this time. In 2003, Sergio Lozano released the "White" and "Silver" Air Max 2003, again imaginatively named, but we've not seen much from this silhouette since.

The Nike Air Max 360 emerged in 2006 in a "Red" and "White" colourway and proved that there was no such thing as 'too much Air'. Coming with a, you guessed it, 360-degree Air unit, Nike strived to get performance from every angle.

The first silhouette to house a completely Air bubble sole, Nike haven't been caught short when it comes to new ideas and iterations, even 30 years after the original Air Max release. Designed by Kathy Gomez, the Flyknit upper and Air unit-infested VaporMax makes for a lightweight and flexible shoe that's taken the sneaker scene by storm. First releasing in "Pure Platinum", we've seen a whole load of colourful Flyknit used since, despite the sneaker's monochromatic beginnings.

The first of all the Nike Air Max styles to take a step away from being a 'running shoe' and released to purely be a lifestyle and fashion sneaker, it's no wonder that the AM 270 took off like a rocket. The first silhouette to house a 270-degree Air unit, Nike really pushed the boundaries between sports and fashion. At 32mm tall, it was the tallest of all the Air units that had ever been released.

When the Air Max 270 boasted about having the tallest Air unit, the Air Max 720 came along and said 'hold by beer'. With an extra six millimetres in height, the Air Max 720 has the biggest Air unit in the AM family, and is by far the most futuristic of all the silhouettes.

Celebrating 30 years of the Air Max 90, Nike re-jigged the silhouette and released the Air Max 2090, which boasts a 200% larger Air unit that the original silhouette for increased flexibility. Although not as popular as the OG, the Air Max 2090 has released in a slew of popular colourways and is not going anywhere any time soon.

Although not a comprehensive list of every Air Max release, when taking a look back at the timeline of the major Nike Air Max releases, it's plain to see that the Oregon-born brand have been ahead of the game and leading the future of sneaker technology for over 40 years now. It's some feat to add to a collection pretty much continuously for that amount of time, yet keep the customer base as avid as ever and gripped onto your every move.

Despite your affiliation to sneakers, everyone from die-hard sneakerheads to trainer novices appreciate and understand the legacy Nike's Air Max line holds. Perhaps dissimilarly to Air Jordan, the Air Max makes its way into wardrobes across the world, regardless of the wearer's interest in sneakers, and its popularity has even lead to their being an Air Max Day in honour of the history and countless silhouettes.

For more information about how Nike Air Max fits, check out our size guides below: