What Does "Air" Mean to You?
“The product isn’t something you wear, it’s what you live.”
Before you read this, ask yourself.. what does "Air" mean to you?
Back at it again with another Swoosh. Nike rereleased the Nike Air Max 1 OG anniversary that was released on Air Max Day in March. Thank goodness they rereleased this shoe since I missed out on the original drop. Various websites rereleased the shoe as well as Nike.com and SNKRS App. Dropped on September 21st for $140 US for those like myself who missed out last March. I was able to snag my pair from Sneakersnstuff before the rerelease on Nike and the SNKRS App. I highly recommend Sneakersnstuff, they always release shoes before US. Sure, you pay for shipping, 10 bucks rather than getting it free from Nike, but if you can secure your pair, why not?, It is 10 bucks for shipping, think of it as you took ya girl to Starbucks for a frapp and call it a wrap.
Lets get into the history of the shoe. The story, why this shoe has meaning, and how it started..
This shoe was original released back in 1987. The Air Max 1 went down in history for Nike. These shoes were designed by Tinker Hatfield, who designed various Nike shoes. The Air Max 1 revolutionized the sneaker industry by introducing “air.” Nike’s Air technology was not new, it was previously developed by former NASA engineer Frank Rudy and introduced in the Air Tailwind back in 1978.
The meaning behind the air is Hatfield introduced a concept called invisible air. He was inspired by this idea from being a architect who designed buildings that were designed Pompidou center in Paris, a famous art museum, that is most famous for the design of the building. The structural and functional elements of the building are exposed and visible from the outside for all to see. In other words the structure and functional elements are hidden with in the exterior of the building. In comparison to the shoe, the traditional runner had the cushioning system that was embedded with in the midsole of the shoe.
“I thought let’s make the bag a little bit wider, make sure it’s stable, but then let’s go ahead and remove part of the midsole so we can actually see it.”
Tinker Hatfield
Let’s get into it... opening the box the red in the shoe is really eye popping. The suede material of the shoe is beautiful and the quality is 100%. I’m a sucker for red and in a sneaker I love it. The toe box is complimented with a mesh overlay that hits the tongue of the shoe. The Nike swoosh pops it with the red and the logo branding on the tongue as well. The upper of the shoe is a white lining and the insole is done in a red branding with “Nike Air” written in white. Inside the box the shoes have a second pair of white laces and a nice little Nike Air keychain hanging from the shoe. The official color way of the shoe is labeled white/university red/ neutral black/ gray.
Overall, I love this shoe. I’m very happy I was able to get my hands on a pair of these after they first released. From what I have read and viewed this shoe compared to the previous release is exactly the same. The only difference is the boxing. In the previous Air Max Month pair they supposedly gave a dust bag and booklet... how does it fit you ask!? I would definitely go true to size. At first I was a little hesitant since my Atmos Air Max have a little room for my normal true to size 7, but these fit perfect. If you missed out on the red and prefer the blue. Have no worries... Nike is re releasing the blue inspired color way of the Nike Air Max 1 in October.
In the beginning of this blog I asked you question. After reading this, did your answer change? Now I will answer my own question. Growing up I always loved sneakers. From the time I was able to dress myself. With my parents being divorced as a young child, I was influenced by someone who fulfilled the father figure in my life. His name was Chase and he loved Nike Air Max 1’s. The first time I met chase he was wearing an Air Max. He favored this color way most. Almost 3 years ago I lost my best friend and the only man who treated me like a daughter when I was not even his child. Maybe I missed the first release of this shoe because I was not ready for the emotional attachment, but I sure am glad to have this shoe in my collection. Just like how Hatfield modeled the shoe, the elements are hidden, but they are with you.
Brookeydoo Out.