MANILA, Philippines - March 26, 1987 marked the release of the Air Max 1. To mark the special day and, at the same time, initiate a new tradition, Nike issued a limited edition pair. The 3.26, a tribute to the experiment-turned-icon, comes in the original white and red colorway with a chartreuse midsole.
Nike originally hired Tinker Hatfield, creator of the Air Max, as a corporate architect. On a trip to Paris for his first project, he chanced upon the Centre Georges Pompidou. With color-coded pipes, giant external escalators and steel guts visible from the outside, the vast library and modern art complex stood out in a landscape filled with pretty, traditional structures. Hatfield began working on a shoe inspired by the Pompidou, eventually creating one with exposed mechanical systems and bold, unapologetic hues.
CASUAL WARDROBE STAPLE
In the cyclical world of fashion, trends possibly deemed passé have a way of returning to the fold sleeker and stronger. As Sarah Raphael, online editor at i-D magazine, said: “The ‘00s relived the ‘80s with Dr. Martens; the ‘10s are reliving the ‘90s and sportswear is back.â€
From its heyday two decades ago, gracing marathons, hip-hop videos and 24-hour raves, Nike’s most famous bubble-soled kicks are once again in high demand. In 2013, British online retailer Asos reported a significant increase in sales for the spring/summer range. “We have seen a 320-percent growth on Nike Air Max trainers in the same period for the previous year, making them the casual wardrobe staple,†Nichola Carroll, branded footwear buyer, told the Guardian.
RESURGENCE
While the Air Max’s track record for style and comfort should speak for itself, the occasional celebrity endorsement only served to boost its popularity. UK rapper Dizzee Rascal had a customized pair. i-D fashion editor at-large Julia Sarr-Jamois was photographed in her Air Max 90s during Paris Fashion Week in late 2013, the year the fashion crowd began to cotton on.
But it is Phoebe Philo, the British designer of Céline, who appears to have a lot to do with its resurgence. Philo tends to take a post-show bow in her trademark trainers, which often happen to be Air Max. (Thumb through American Vogue’s March 2013 issue and she is there, too, in her well-worn Nike Vortexes.)
THE HUNT CONTINUES
I spent Air Max Day stalking the 3.26 online while tracing my own history with the classic shoe. As a teen, I fell in love with the Air Max 97 after seeing it in Tyler Brûlé’s Wallpaper. I soon purchased the metallic beauties which I wore to school, often with tailored Helmut Lang trousers and a plain crewneck t-shirt. When my feet grew some more, I moved on to my current Air Max 90s, a pair that has gone beyond the gym. Strangers have stopped a few times to glance at them — grey, pink and purple with mismatched laces.
German illustrator Björn von Schulz paid homage to the Air Max by rounding up 50 of his all-time favorites. As I gaze at this minimal poster, I dream of the ones I wouldn’t mind owning next. Alas, there’s an Air Max shortage in Manila. Last I checked my neighborhood Nike store in Greenbelt, I was presented rather joyless black or white versions. The hunt for more eye-catching styles, I guess, will have to commence elsewhere.
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