Nike Air Max 1

Air Max 1 86 PRM Powerwall BRS (classic green / ember glow / olive)

Air Max 1 Essential (summit white / armony navy / light silver)

Air Max 1 Essential British Tan (light bone / black / flax)

Holy grail, origin, milestone - you can title the Air Max 1 however you want, there's no denying that this shoe influenced the sneaker world like no other. The model's original name referred to its year of manufacture, 1987, while its current designation refers even more clearly to its unique selling point: the Air Max 1 was the first Nike Air Max ever.

As the first sneaker in the Nike range, the legendary Nike Air air cushion adorned the sole of the shoe, which was used in subsequent models in countless variations, sizes, shapes and colors. Perhaps this is the reason why the Air Max 1 is so popular among collectors and sneaker lovers in particular as few other shoes.

Nike Air Max 1 – A history of inspiration

1987 was a great year for entertainment and culture. The Simpsons made their first television appearance, Michael Jackson released his album "Bad" and Nike presented us with a true sneaker legend: the Air Max 1. All these moments were of great significance and the revolutionary character lives on to this day.

But to tell the story of the Air Max 1 from the beginning, we must not forget the story of Tinker Hatfield. In 1981, Nike commissioned Hatfield as a corporate architect to design buildings on Nike's Oregon campus. It wasn't until four years later that the architect began designing shoes. Hatfield applied his architectural background to sneaker design, and it wasn't long before he brought a rebellious spirit to the brand with the Swoosh. With a trip to Paris, the idea for a revolutionary design was born. The Centre Georges Pompidou, a building design where all functional and structural elements were placed on the outside for all to see, would serve as inspiration. With this idea in mind, Hatfield designed the Air Max 1 and exposed the Air Bubble for the first time. To this day, the small window is THE trademark of the Air Max 1. On March 26, 1987, the 1 finally appeared in Nike's first television commercial. From then on, things went uphill: Tinker Hatfield's innovation led to one of the most successful sneaker series of all time, which is still relevant after more than 30 years. The Air Max series with models like the Air Max 90, the Air Max 180, the Air Max 95, the Air Max 97 or the Air Max 270 is still one of the absolute favorites in the sneaker industry and is also more coveted than ever by collaboration partners.

The evolution of the Air Max 1

For the true fans of the 1, there is really only the Air Max 1 OG. The red and white colorway is still one of the absolute favorites. Over the years, the Air Max 1 has been reissued again and again in traditional form. In 2009, however, the AM1 was fundamentally revised for the first time with the Air Maxim 1. The shoe received Acespan mesh, Flywire, a Phylon midsole and a completely new shape that focused primarily on comfort. But the evolution continued. In 2013, the Air Max 1 received a new look with Engineered Mesh (EM for short).

The upper material was made entirely of mesh. In 2014, Nike presented us with the Air Max Lunar 1, and the revolutionary Lunarlon cushioning was used the first time. The updated edition was combined with seamless uppers to further reduce the weight of the shoe. Arguably the most innovative version of the AM1, the 2015 Air Max 1 Ultra featured a one-piece synthetic suede upper with laser perforations. The Ultra sole provided even more weight reduction as well as added flexibility. In the same year, the Ultra Moire evolved into the Air Max 1 Ultra Essential. The upper completely eliminates stitching in this version.

Nike Air Max 1 – The collabo king

Such a legend naturally attracts collabo partners. The innovative and timeless silhouette brought many rare and coveted colorways to market in recent years. To name THE best is difficult. Nevertheless, we do not want to deprive you of some highlights. The first one is Atmos. The Japanese sneaker store was already allowed to creatively live out several times on the Air Max 1 and has, as we find, done everything right. Models like the Atmos x Nike Air Max 1 "Supreme Animal Pack", the Atmos x Nike Air Max 1 "Safari" or the Atmos x Nike Air Max 1 "Elephant" have absolute cult status in the sneaker community. The Atmos models are particularly characterized by their iconic design with various animal motifs on the upper. In addition to Atmos, the Amsterdam institution Patta is a popular collabo partner. Models like the "Alber Heijn" or the "Cherrywood" are absolute masterpieces. The list of highlights is eternal: Air Max 1 "Amsterdam", "Sketch to Shelf", "Master White F&F", "Turf Pack Milano" or "Watermelon" are just a few models that pay tribute to the Air Max 1. If you are more interested in this topic, just have a look at our friends from Sneaker Freaker. Here is a small overview of the best Air Max 1 models and collaborations .