Nike Air Max Plus

Air Max Plus

Nike recruited Sean McDowell in 1997, beginning a collaboration with Foot Locker that would lead to the creation of the Nike Air Max Plus. The shoe would feature the latest in Air Max technology, referred to by Nike as “hemispheres”—tough half-moon structures embedded into the sole and Air unit—which diminished any pressure in the heel and boosted the soft cushioning at the front of the shoe. 

While the cushioning technology had been decided, designing the shoe that would house it was to be slightly more problematic. Of the 15 preliminary sketches that had been brought before Foot Locker, not one had worked for the retailer. So, in the true spirit of the Air Max, McDowell began conjuring up novel and untested designs to bring the technical prowess of the Air Max Plus to life.

In order to do so, the youthful designer drew inspiration from Florida, where he’d been just before taking the position at Nike during what had been a fruitful period for him. One particular evening at dusk, he drew a sketch of what he could see: the sky shifting from light to dark blue and palm trees swaying in the breeze. It was an idyllic scene which was later to be integrated into his design. These sky elements gave added meaning to the project’s initial title, ‘Sky Air’ after Joe Skyar, the designer of the intricate “Tn” midsole cushioning system. With his Florida drawings as inspiration, McDowell pictured a story of the night evolving into daytime through the initial three colourways to be released: the first represented the twilight hours, the second a dark night sky and the third the bright amber tones of a sunrise.

The colour fades used to achieve the “sky” effect were a first. So new, in fact, that the team considered the idea technically impossible and suggested that McDowell scrap it. However, thanks to his groundbreaking sublimation treatment for the shoe’s upper, the feature endured. 

Then came the incorporation of Florida’s palm trees via thin TPU welds. This presented a highly challenging task for the factory producing the prototype for Foot Locker. To help solve the issue, McDowell flew out to consult them in person. Everyone was relieved that his suggestion to use three individual welds was a success. But the influence of his coastal sketches of Florida didn’t end there. The shank, which divides the midsole in two, takes the shape of a whale’s tail fin emerging from the sea, something which has become a distinct, much-loved and iconic design feature of the shoe.

When the Air Max Plus launched, it became a success  in Melbourne and Sydney, where regional releases were frequent. In Paris and London, its popularity led to it becoming known as ‘le requin’ or ‘the shark’ due to its shark-like appearance. And in New York too the style is a cult classic for Nike devotees and sneaker enthusiasts alike. Fans might know it as “Tn”, owing to its Tuned Air technology, but the inclusion of the iconic hexagonal “Tn” logo was something McDowell did not expect. His designs were well underway before he was told to go back and find a suitable position for the logo. He ended up putting one on the heel and the other on the sole, drawing attention to the shoe’s star feature: the Tuned Air technology. 

While the Nike Air Max Plus took hold culturally, it’s important to remember that it was designed as a running shoe, and McDowell’s design reflects that. It has flex grooves on the forefoot and a performance outsole, and it is lighter than 12oz. As a runner himself, he thought it odd that high-visibility reflectors only featured around the heels of other running shoes of the time, so he introduced reflective strips across other parts of the sneaker, on the forefoot, vamp and tongue.

Despite its technical prowess and its use of three groundbreaking manufacturing methods, for ‘Tn’ fans this shoe holds a special place: it is truly unique. Its idiosyncratic style is cherished by prominent people in the fashion industry and many other designs have taken inspiration from it over the years, securing its place as one of the most highly influential shoe designs of the 90s.