Manchester and Nike are back with a legendary Air Max model to represent the City.

If you have any sort of interest in football or trainers, then you know Manchester and the Swoosh have history. From Nike sponsored United kits, 0161 Air Max 95 JD Exclusives to signing Haaland in 2023, saying the two have a strong bond would be an understatement.

Taking a look at the relationship from purely a footwear point of view, Manchester has had some cracking colourways. In 2008, JD released an exclusive 0161 City code edition for Manchester, a shoe that 110 enthusiasts have a nightmare tracking down these days.

Even before that, Nike dropped an Air Zoom FC SB in 2004, proudly stamped with the Red Devils’ badge on the heel. Coming out at a time when a young Wayne Rooney had just signed to United, you would have for sure spotted these darting about the Arndale. This was a shoe I was unaware of at the time of writing this, making Manchester’s relationship with the Swoosh at least two decades old.

In 2019, The Basement worked with Nike on a trio of Air Max 90 City editions, one of which was the Manchester. Built from a black Cordura upper with a neon mini-Swoosh, this pair was heavily worn by UK sneakerheads, a shoe perfectly built for the unpredictable weather of Cottonopolis.

Then in 2020, Nike brought out an Air Force 1 which paid homage to the Mancunian’s worker bee ethos. A shoe limited to only SNKRS and Manchester retailers, this AF1 edition was sadly overshadowed by the lockdowns as most activations were cancelled.

Nevertheless, I walked away with three pairs all of which are still in my collection, so you know I’ve got skin in the game. On a side note, if you are into this Manchester AF1 then you’ll definitely want to learn about this upcoming Nike SB from NOTE.

Adding to that lineage is this Manchester Tn, a shoe which combines the darker hues of The Basement Air Max 90 and the worker bee motif from the previous Air Force 1. This Footlocker exclusive acknowledges past inspirations, melding them together to create an edition that stands firmly on its own.

In result, we get a seriously stealthy pair, one that Mancunians can lace up rain, snow or shine. Plus, in an era full of colourful fades and blends, this Air Max Plus takes it back to basics and represents the core essence of the City. As what really makes Manchester so great is the network of people that keep it running (cheesy but true!).

This project makes total sense as the Air Max Plus is used to playing host to city editions. Over the past few years we’ve had Footlocker paying homage to Marseille and Napoli, Tn’s that are stitched together with great storytelling and even better IYKYK details.

Now the 0161 is next in line, with an activation set to hit the flagship store on Market Street in the coming weeks. So keep your eyes on the Footlocker EU Instagram on more details!

If you’re from Manchester, let us know what you make of this Tn. Are you grabbing these or giving them a miss?

For you best chance of copping the Nike Tn Air Max Plus “Manchester”, be sure to head over to The Sole Supplier app!