Air Max 1
Do you know a more legendary Nike silhouette than the Nike Air Max 1? We don't. The sneaker that first revealed the Air Unit, aka the air bubble, became a massive hit immediately after its launch. Nike didn't really expand much in the second half of the 80s, with the competition outrunning it by leaps and bounds. Bright colors and bold patterns were trending, so a response from Nike had to come soon.
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Planning a sneaker that would literally destroy the competition and get Nike back in the game was no easy task but luckily the company had the people and the technology to do it. The company decided to use its "Air" technology, designed by Frank Rudy in the late 70's, on the new silhouette. All that was left was to differentiate themselves from the competition.
Tinker solved this during a trip to Paris. We all know that he was educated an architect, so it only makes sense that the field was still his hobby. It was one building in particular that greatly influenced his design of the Air Max 1, the Centre Georges Pompidou. A building literally turned inside out. All of the important and functional elements are not on the inside, but stand out on the outside. This is where the idea of the visible "Air Unit" comes in. How about make the "bubble" wider, remove parts of the sole around it and make it fully visible?
A groundbreaking silhouette was born. The Nike Air Max 1 sneaker was first introduced on March 27, 1987, along with the first ever Nike commercial. It didn't take long for the silhouette to become an absolutely legendary sneaker. You can't imagine a modern Nike without it.
As it is often the case, a world-class silhouette can't be left out of a collaboration. And there were plenty of them on the Nike Air Max 1. The Nike Travis Scott Air Max 1, the Air Max 1 CLOT or the Patta Air Max 1. However, the potential for collaborations is definitely still great and we're looking forward to seeing what the American manufacturer comes up with next.
The legendary silhouette shouldn't be missing from any sneaker lover's shoe closet, whether in the aforementioned collaboration, the Nike Air Max 1 Premium version or just some interesting colorway.