Over 20 years since it’s initial release, the Air Max 1 stands as an iconic Nike design . The running shoe was the first design by Tinker Hatfield who had previously worked for Nike as an architect. It was also the first to have a visible Air unit, an innovative design element that came to define the entire product range and the brand philosophy of Nike. Tinker on the Air Max 1:
“Business People didn’t think you could sell a shoe that had a hole in it, and marketing people didn’t think you could sell a shoe that was red and white.”
Crooked Tongues has a fantastic retrospective on the creation of the Air Max 1 penned by Gary Warnett. This is a must-read for anyone who has an interest in sneaker design and the industry as a whole, click HERE for the feature.
