Nike Air Max 1
426 articlesThe shoe that launched the extraordinary Air Max range.
- Nike
- Air Max 1 '86 x Jacquemus
- "Sail & Summit White"
- Nike
- Air Max 1 Essential
- "White & Black"
- £108.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1 '86 OG
- "Camo & Light Lemon Twist"
- £69.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1 Premium
- "Playful Pink & University Red"
- £93.49
- Nike
- Air Max 1 Essential
- "Evergreen Aura"
- £94.49
- Nike
- Air Max 1 Premium
- "Black Cat"
- £134.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1 Premium
- "Black & Playful Pink"
- £119.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1 '87
- "Light Orewood Brown"
- £76.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1 Essential
- "Reverse Chili"
- £97.49
- Nike
- Air Max 1 Essential
- "Black & Green Strike"
- £134.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1 '86 OG
- "Cool Grey & Metallic Silver"
- £96.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1 '86 Premium
- "Powerwall BRS"
- £89.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1 Essential
- "Flax & British Tan"
- £115.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1 x HUF
- "Pear Green"
- £69.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1 Essential
- "Summit White & University Gold"
- £95.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1 '87
- "Bold Berry"
- £83.49
- Nike
- Air Max 1 Essential
- "Batman"
- £95.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1
- "Guava Ice"
- £71.49
- Nike
- Air Max 1 '86 Premium
- "Royal Blue"
- £72.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1 '87
- "Snakeskin"
- £82.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1 Essential
- "Photon Dust & Vapor Green"
- £110.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1 Essential
- "Sanded Purple"
- £134.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1 SC
- "Clear Jade"
- £57.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1
- "Sail & Burgundy Crush"
- £110.49
- Nike
- Air Max 1
- "Aster Pink"
- £103.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1 Premium
- "Urawa"
- £80
- Nike
- Air Max 1 SC
- "Bronze"
- £86.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1 Essential
- "Vamps"
- £110.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1 '87
- "Metallic Platinum & Pink Rise"
- £68.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1 Premium
- "Cave Stone"
- £119.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1 x Patta ‘20th Anniversary’
- "Chlorophyll"
- £160
- Nike
- Air Max 1 Essential
- "Thanksgiving"
- £134.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1 Essential
- "Batman"
- £150
- Nike
- Air Max 1 Essential
- "Soft Pearl & Smokey Blue"
- £104.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1
- "Bred"
- £134.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1
- "Tan Lines"
- £140.49
- Nike
- Air Max 1
- "Burgundy Crush & Picante Red"
- £115.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1
- "Night Maroon"
- £116.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1
- "Royal Pulse"
- £95.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1
- "Baroque Brown"
- £90.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1 G
- "Wolf Grey & Obsidian"
- £144.99
- Nike
- Air Max 1 '86 OG G
- "Black & White "
- £77.49
- Nike
- Air Max 1 '86 Premium
- "University Red"
- £103.49
- Nike
- Air Max 1 '87
- "Leopard"
- Nike
- Air Max 1
- "Deep Royal Blue"
- Nike
- Air Max 1
- "White & Black"
- Nike
- Air Max 1 SC
- "Dark Stucco"
- Nike
- Air Max 1
- "Chili 2.0"
Air Max 1
In the mid-1980s, Nike was on a mission to design a shoe which would show off its comfortable Air cushioning. However, the task was not so easy, and the brand’s designers struggled to find a workable solution. A fresh perspective was needed, so architect Tinker Hatfield was recruited to take on the challenge. He was sent to Paris to find inspiration and returned with an idea based on the unconventional design of the famous Centre Pompidou building. The result was a bold new sneaker which came to be known as the Nike Air Max 1.
The key innovation on the Air Max was the oblong-shaped windows set into each side of the heel, which offered a view of the airbags inside. Some Nike employees were sceptical of Tinker’s design, questioning its structural stability and its eccentric look. However, the strong support of colleague David Forland was enough to see it go into production, particularly once the Air Max unit had been perfected. Even so, not long after the first pairs had been manufactured, it was found that the airbag would crack in cold conditions, and Nike quickly had to rework the design, giving it a smaller window that was stable enough to handle low temperatures.
When it came out in 1987, the Air Max 1 was marketed as a stylish running shoe with advanced cushioning. One famous advert featuring sports stars like John McEnroe and Michael Jordan highlighted its athletic abilities and used the famous Beatles track, Revolution, to signify a new era of footwear design. It was a massive success, and Nike soon decided to establish a whole line of sneakers based upon the Air Max concept. Meanwhile, it launched Tinker Hatfield’s career as a shoe designer, and he went on to create some of the brand’s most well-known silhouettes.
Although Nike is still doing innovative things with Air Max technology, the original shoe has never been forgotten. Over the years, it has been celebrated through memorable collaborations with the likes of atmos, Patta and Travis Scott, while alternative models like the Air Max Zero and the Air Max 1 ‘86 have helped to tell the incredible story behind the making of the first Air Max. This rich history puts the Nike Air Max 1 amongst the brand’s most iconic silhouettes as it continues to change the sneaker landscape to this day.