You can’t step outside (when it was safe to do so) and not witness someone rocking a pair of Nike Air Max, whatever the model. So it is only right that every year on the 26th March, since 2014, their game-changing Air-technology is honoured in true Nike fashion. Of course the date brings numerous new Air Max colourways, thousands of ‘sneaker porn’ photographs to your phone screens and even this year a reimagined new silhouette – check out 2020’s releases here – but how did a trainer that at the time was relatively unknown, come to define a brand?
Combining the air cushioning technology from Marion Franklin “Frank” Rudy and the sneaker design of Tinker Hatfield, back in 1987, the Air Max 1 was born and trainers were transformed from gym wear-only to a fashion must-have. Since then, the likes of Chance the Rapper has rocked a pair of beige Air Max 1 Royal’s down the red carpet in 2016, Travis Scott performed in Sean Wotherspoon’s Air Max Day 2018 release at the MTV EMAs and Lily Allen created a life changing fashion statement pairing 1950s swing dresses with the infamous Air Max 90s – now causing any person ever to pair trainers with a dress to have a Lily Allen comment swung their way. So of course pop culture, as always, can be thanked for the rise of Air Max’s popularity.
Before Air Max became part of the evolutionary UK grime movement, it was already popping up throughout a wide range of culturally significant touch points. Remember that 1996 Thanksgiving episode of Friends, “The One with the Football”? Rachel Green aka Jennifer Aniston – the sitcom character that every girl wanted to be and a historic nineties fashion icon – was spotted in the park for the infamous football game wearing a pair of fresh Air Max 96 trainers causing the shoes to rise to fame thanks to its on-foot cameo.
Range Rover’s 1993 advertisement saw a cross-band collaboration between the brand and Nike, promoting air suspension found in both the Air Max products and the Range Rover model – a match made in heaven. And J-Lo’s 1999 musical debut with “If You Had My Love”, had her busting out moves in the song’s dance break in a black pair of Nike Air Max Plus kicks.
Without a doubt, fashion mirrors musical influences of the time. So with Hip-Hop artists in the 2000s and later, grime MCs at the forefront of music and Nikes on their feet, naturally the Air Max’s iconic status grew. Nike is engraved into grime culture, from the very beginning in 2003 when Dizzee Rascal famously donned Air Max BWs and a Nike tracksuit on the cover of his Boy In Da Corner album to Chip’s 2015 Rap vs Grime mixtape artwork featuring simply the Jungle Air Max 95’s alongside a Jordan 13 – we all know which trainer represents which side. And with every Air Max line on every grime MCs feet, it was only right for grime pioneers Skepta and Dizzee Rascal to offer out their own Nike Air Max collaborations.
Dizzee was first in 2009, teaming up with designer Ben Dury – who created the artwork to Dizzee’s first three albums – to deliver a new spin on the London favourite Air Max 90 to coincide with the release of Dizzee’s album Tongue N Cheek. The pair came in cream-coloured soft leather and brushed suede with breathable mesh on the toe box and collar, while the pink tongue had ‘tongue’ and ‘cheek’ embroidered across. The soles were finished with Dizzee’s ‘Dirtee Stank Recordings’ logo beneath the shoe’s transparent sole, while an embossed 3M figure of Dizzee Rascal himself was found on the heels and a translucent Swoosh shone on the outer side. But the real winning feature to the trainers, was the advert that came with it.
Skepta first started collaborating with Nike back in February 2016, and since has released four trainers, three of which being Air Max lines. First he turned his attention to the Air Max 97, which was celebrating its 20th anniversary that year. The shoe glimmered iridescent deep hues transitioning gold and purple, celebrating the vibrant Moroccan city of Marrakesh that the design took inspiration from.
Then came the second drop in the form of a hybrid – the upper from an Air Max BW fussed with the midsole from an Air Max 97. Again playing with colours, the all white pristine trainers had the right shoe’s Swoosh in a bold university red and the left Swoosh in a vivid blue. The last of the Air Max lines in Skepta’s collaborations, having recently turned to the Nike Shox TL, was the reworking of the Air Max Deluxe model that was revived that summer. A static-like pattern was featured across the upper, as well as “NEVER SLEEP ON TOUR” and “12:05PM JUNE 08 2014” text – a reference to the time and date he won Best Video at the 2014 MOBO Awards for his “That’s Not Me” visual.
Along with the brand collaboration with musicians, Nike paid tribute back to the music scene last year, with the limited edition release of the Air Max 90 Side A/Side B series. The two pairs were inspired by record-collecting and sampling, and celebrated the cultural and musical relevance the trainer has had over the years – from London’s UKG raves to the foundational hip-hop scene. But not only is today Air Max Day, 2020 marks 30 years of the Air Max 90, and with many colourways already been released, let’s see if the music scene will get another shout out, as it is undoubtedly the main reason why the Air Max has become so culturally iconic.
In honour of Air Max Day why don’t you make Nike’s founder Phil Knight’s book Shoe Dog your lockdown read or watch the likes of Novelist, Skepta and DJ Logan Sama have their say about the relationship of Grime and Air Max above.
Check our run down of some of the most essential silhouettes to celebrate Air Max day right here.