The History and Legacy of the Air Max

Through the years there have been many incredibly important and popular models of shoes released by sneaker companies. Some like the Nike Air Jordan line and the Adidas Yeezy line have become icons in mainstream pop culture. However, there is one specific sneaker line in particular that truly holds the crown as one of the most innovative and one of, if not the most, important in all of sneaker history. This historic collection of sneakers is no other than Nike’s famed Air Max line. In this week’s blog I will look at the history of the Nike Air Max line and some of its most popular models along with the legacy that the Air Max line has left.

           Now while the legacy and importance of the Air Max line is undeniable the story of how this visionary concept came to be begins 8 years before the first Air Max sneaker was even released. In 1979 an aerospace engineer by the name of Frank Rudy came to Nike with an idea of creating an air infused cushioning system. Then after months of research and development in top secret Nike facilities the generation of Air was born. Released in 1979, the Nike Air Tailwind became the first shoe to feature Nike Air and the craze was on. Soon new models of shoes for engineered for all different varieties of sports began to emerge. The Nike Air Force 1 was the first basketball shoe with the Nike Air technology, and the Nike Air Trainer was the first multi-purpose athletic sneaker featuring the new Air technology. With the Nike Air technology replacing bulky soles that held sometimes up to a pound of cushioning athletes from around the world soon were becoming more ‘light on their feet’ in more ways than one. However, it was not until 1987 when the innovative designer Tinker Hatfield wanted to push the boundaries of what was capable in sneaker technology. Hatfield pled with Nike to make the Air unit visible, a suggestion that nearly cost him his job, so that consumers and users of the shoe could see that they were truly ‘walking on air’. From this Hatfield crafted the legendary Air Max 1, the first shoe to ever feature a visible air unit which was placed in the heel of the shoe. Hatfield along with developer, Mark Parker crafted a shoe that dared to be different and changed the rules of the sneaker game. Contrasting colors of a bold cherry red and a clean pure white, the visible Air unit popped and drew the eye of anyone lucky enough to spot the shoe on store shelves. Along with the new Air unit, the sneaker also featured a new midsole foot frame and lace locks making the Nike Air Max 1, sometimes referred to as the Air Max ’87 as it was originally released, perfectly showcase the wave of Nike innovation.

           Moving from the Air Max 1, the next iteration in the line to truly stand out in the sneaker world was the Air Max 180. Tinker Hatfield once again stood at the forefront of innovation by crafting the shoe with the first revolutionary 180 degree visible Air unit. This unit featured and entire section of the heel being visible Air compared too just an air bubble in the sole used in the previous Air Max iterations. Highlighting the visible Air Sole unit was another clean white colorway, designed by Tinker Hatfield, with a bold Nike swoosh. These elements combined together to craft another hit in the Air Max line.

           Only one year later Tinker Hatfield pushed the innovation of Air technology even further with the Air Max 93. This time the shoe featured a newly developed heel Air unit which was visible around the entire heel, which would be affectionately be come to known as “the bubble”. Along with this technology, the Air Max 93 was the first of its kind to employ a top line bootie construction technique on the upper of the shoe, which lead to both improved comfort and fit.

           Following the Air Max 93, the next superstar of the Air Max line was perhaps the most popular of all. The Air Max 95, which some even call The Air Max, was designed by the legendary Sergio Lozano, who actually received his own share of criticism and negative feedback during the development process, and featured many new innovations. On the upper to back midsole, Lozano was the first to implement a layered construction technique. The Air Max 95 also presented the foundational debut of Forefoot Air, with Air units being place at the front of the foot along with at the heel for the first time. Additionally, Lozano used compartmentalized air with varying PSI units in each region of the shoe which made for a smooth and comfortable ride. All of these innovations appeared in a dazzling neon green colorway with a contrasting, unheard of at the time, black midsole and a quiet Swoosh near the ankle letting the beauty of the shoe speak for itself. This brilliant package of futuristic technology and beautiful design propelled the Air Max 95 to stardom. Moreover, the 95 was the first sneaker in the line to truly become an instant cult classic with everyone from normal people just seeking a comfortable shoe, to superstar athletes and celebrities donning Lozano’s creation.

           After the 95, the next iteration of the Air Max line to feature breakthrough technology was the Air Max 97. This model, now designed by Christian Tresser, was modeled after bullet trains in Japan. It featured a wave length pattern on the upper that was to resemble bursts of speed from the train. Also the Air Max 97 presented the groundbreaking full length Air Sole unit for the first time. Even though it was still incorporated in a layer of polyurethane foam, the model offered runners more crash padding and cushion heel to toe. The Air Max 97 was also the first Air Max model with an Air Sole unit developed specifically for running, paying homage to Nike itself as a company which was born and became popular as a sneaker company at the forefront of high performance footwear for runner. This model once again crashed through barriers and became an instant hit with many athletes and particularly celebrities sporting the sneaker anywhere from workouts to on the red carpet.

           Finally, another Air Max model to present new and innovative features is the Air Max 360 released in 2006. The Air Max 360 possesses an Air Sole unit running the entire length of the sole with no foam, no midsole, just air. This full length Air Sole unit provided athletes with the smoothest and most durable ride ever created at that time.

           Today Nike celebrates the Air Max line with the History of Air, releasing models in both original and new never before seen colorways in their corresponding year. (I.e. in 2017 Nike released many classic and new versions of the Air Max 97 and this year the Air Max 98) However, the legacy and impact of the Air Max line continues. Presently Nike’s Air Vapormax and Vapormax Plus models sit amongst the most popular and most innovative sneakers on the market. Each shoe features and entire sole and midsole made entirely of Air bubbles. While both the Vapormax and Vapormax Plus may not be direct members of the Air Max line, both the innovative technology as well as the sleek and stylish designs are both recognizably influenced by the greatness of their Air Max predecessors.

Nike vs. Adidas: Will Adidas Ever Be #1

For the past 40 plus years the two pillars, the two giants, and the two most dominant companies in sneakers and athletic wear have been Adidas and Nike. While many may see this corporate battle as being a long slow push and pull between the two mammoth apparel brands, Nike has largely dominated Adidas for the better part of the last 25 years or so. However, in the sneaker world many of the hottest, trendiest, and most demanded sneakers are those with the 3 stripes. Stock prices and market share numbers have been showing Nike falling and Adidas on the rise and people are beginning to wonder: Will Adidas pass Nike as the top sneaker and sportswear company? For this week’s blog I will look at the reasons behind the changing dynamics between Adidas and Nike, and then I will answer which sneaker and sports apparel titan will come out on top.

As I mentioned previously, while many may see the battle between Nike and Adidas for the tope sports apparel brand as fairly even, the truth is that Nike has more or less dominated all of their competition in the United States. In fact, according to the Financial Post, Nike holds about 50.8 percent of the U. S. retail brand footwear market, while Adidas controls about 7.4 percent. On top of this Nike also has a significant advantage when looking at revenue with $32.4 billion globally compared to Adidas’ global annual sales figures which come in at about $20.6 billion. However, despite this consistent dominance from the swoosh, recent numbers show that their grip on the footwear market may be loosening. In the 2017 fiscal year, Adidas’ brand sales in North America alone were up 25 percent, compared to just a measly 3 percent for Nike. Additionally, Adidas grabbed approximately 10 percent of the North American market share away from Nike. So the main question left is why is Adidas growing and taking money and market share away from Nike, and will it continue?

           The question of why Adidas is gaining on Nike is actually answered by many different reasons. One reason is that Adidas was much quicker to adopt the trend of “athleisure”, or the newer tendency to wear athletic apparel and sneakers more for fashion rather than for performance. Adidas was able to take models that they developed for performance and put them into more leisure everyday models. This is perfectly exampled in the Ultra boost which was originally branded as “The Greatest Running Shoe Ever” when it was initially released in 2015. However, it was not until Kanye West was wearing a loose fitting, untied pair that sales really began to take off. Ultra boosts are now branded as the most comfortable shoe in the world, focusing more on everyday wear rather than just the performance area. This trend in fashion not only helps Adidas, but it also hurts Nike since their main strength was in having the best performance sneakers and apparel. This leads to another reason that Adidas has gained momentum is that they were faster at recognizing how popular and valuable celebrities outside of sports could be to their brand. While Kanye West had already been signed with Nike, Adidas recognized the value he could add to their company and was able to entice him to their side by offering him control in designing his own product line when Nike was unwilling to do this. Adidas further used their insight to help their business by adding Pharrell Williams to their roster. Together West’s Yeezy line and Pharrell’s NMD Hu line have been incredibly successful and are large parts of Adidas’ overall upward momentum. This may help Adidas even further in the future as the incredibly popular rapper Drake has recently left Jordan Brand and joined forces with Adidas. Another cause of Adidas’ surge is that they have committed tons of money and resources into their product innovation. This is shown in April of 2017 when they debuted the “Futurecraft 4D”, a shoe with a 3D printed sole which allows for much more customization. Something that makes this extra innovative is that Adidas uses a process called digital light synthesis, which uses UV lasers to create the sole and make it durable and flexible when the majority of 3D printed materials are rigid and inflexible. A final reason that may attribute some reason as why Adidas has gained on Nike, is that consumers may have grown somewhat tired of Nike after their decades of dominance and with their models that typically changed very minimally from year to year.

           With all of these factors leading to success for Adidas, there is still the question of if Adidas will ever pass Nike and take the seat as the king of the footwear and athletic apparel industry. My answer to this question is a resounding NO and the reason I feel this is for a multitude of reasons. One of these is that Nike has already taken steps to answer many of the advancements that gave Adidas the boost (pun intended) in sales and market share. While Adidas made huge strides in their technology and innovation, Nike has closely followed suit debuting the immensely popular Vapormax and Vapormax Plus models which are these first sneakers to feature a sole made completely from air. Beside this Nike has made great advancements in the design of their sneakers and their apparel to make it more for everyday wear and the trend of “athleisure”. Something else that I feel will help Nike answer the gains from Adidas is that despite making mistakes in the past and letting non-athlete celebrities leave their brand, like Kanye West and Drake, they have answered and are bringing in other celebrities most notably the rapper Travis Scott. Additionally, I feel Nike will remain the leader of the sneaker and sportswear industry because Nike is focusing on the actual buying experience for their customers, an innovation that Adidas may have not thought of. In doing this Nike has acquired multiple companies, one of which is a tech company that predicts consumer behavior, and another that uses artificial intelligence and 3D modeling to help customers shop. This strategy to draw closer to their consumers will surely help them regain some of their popularity. On top of this I feel that Nike has an edge of Adidas when looking at each of their performance line. While Adidas’ move away from performance has definitely helped them with the current trends, fashion changes and soon consumers may look to buy footwear and athletic apparel for actual performance rather than just to wear. When this happens Nike is likely to have substantial gains since they traditionally and currently have an edge over Adidas in performance wear. This also leads into another reason I feel that Nike will remain supreme is that they have had more success in hanging onto their grassroots than Adidas. Nike’s main source of revenue has always been basketball where Adidas’ has always been soccer. While Adidas has made some small strides, such as signing James Harden away from Nike, in basketball, they are in general pretty minor. This is relative to Nike’s strides in soccer. Nike has become the sponsor of some of the major club teams in the world and some of the most popular national teams like Brazil and England.

           Once again I feel that Nike will remain atop of the sportswear and sneaker industry despite the best attempts from Adidas.

How Sneaker Collaborations Changed the Sneaker Game

This week it was announced that Travis Scott’s highly anticipated Jordan IV collaboration with Jordan Brand will release in early June. The buzz around the internet has been rapidly increasing and many are predicting the launch of “Cactus Jack” IV’s to be one of the largest of the year. Because of this, I have decided that for this week’s sneaker topic, I am going to look at the impact of sneaker collaborations resulting from sneaker companies teaming up with popular athletes as well as other major influencers and how that has changed the sneaker industry.

           To start I will begin by discussing some of the earlier strategies used by sneaker companies to promote their particular models, and how that has changed and evolved into the current trends we see today. Surprisingly, collaborations between sneaker companies and major influencers is still relatively new. Going back in time sneaker companies formerly tried to tie their models with popular teams rather than individuals. This can be seen with Converse’s strategy of outfitting the immensely popular Boston Celtics teams of the 1950’s and 60’s, lead by Bill Russell and Red Auerbach, with the classic Chuck Taylor Converse All-Stars. While this did boost the shoes popularity both at that time and even now, with the All-Stars being a sort of pop culture phenomenon, they were not quite in the demand the way certain sneaker collabs have been recently. Evolving from this, another strategy used by many sneaker companies was to tie particular models with particular players. This strategy can be seen in examples such as Nike tying the Air Force 1 with players like Moses Malone and Adidas pairing their Superstars with players like Oscar Robinson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Another example would be Converse tying their Converse Weapon sneaker to many popular athletes in the NBA such as Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Isiah Thomas, and many others. While this was getting closer to the current mold of athletes and other influencers collaborating with sneaker companies, it is still not the same because there was no particular model made and promoted by one specific player or influencer.

           Everything changed in 1984 when one Michael Jordan entered into the NBA. With his introduction into the league Nike signed “His Airness” to a $1 million contact, the largest ever at that time, to wear their sneakers. With this contact Nike paired Jordan with the first signature shoe ever, the now iconic Air Jordan I. This of course was an enormous success. The sales of the Jordan I, bolstered by Jordan’s game changing play, dwarfed all other major promotional tactics that were being used by sneaker companies at the time. This immense popularity continued throughout MJ’s career with his signature shoe line. Because of the epic success of having an individual player under contract paired with their own signature line many sneaker companies followed suit. Reebok teaming up with Shaquille O’Neal to promote the Reebok Pumps and Allen Iverson to sponsor the Reebok Questions as well as Adidas partnering with both Tracy McGrady and Kobe Bryant to endorse their own individual signature lines are some of the more successful answers that companies used to try and compete with Nike and Jordan’s partnership. Today, these partnerships and endorsements of players are the foundations that most, if not all, sneaker companies build their brand around. This can be seen in the gigantic multi-million dollar promotional campaigns around signature lines such as Nike with players such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving among others, and Adidas with James Harden and Damien Lillard.

           In addition to endorsements of immensely popular players, sneaker companies have broadened their horizons and now look at many other influencers aside from the players to work with and help their brand. However, this took time for sneaker companies to become comfortable with just as it did with them to endorse individual players. One of the first connections between one brand’s sneakers and another influencer outside of sports was between the Adidas Superstar and notorious hip-hop group Run D.M.C. The popular trio was rarely seen making public appearances or performing without their trusted Adidas Superstars. Run D.M.C. and the Adidas Superstar became so entwined that the hip-hop group even made a song, one of their most popular, “My Adidas” to increase the connection between the group and brand. One of the most popular collaborations between a hip-hop artist and a sneaker company was that of Kanye West and Nike. The partnership between Kanye and Nike and the subsequent release of the Air Yeezy line went one to be one of the most popular, coveted, and hyped relationships of all time. Particularly, the Air Yeezy II “Red October” stands out as possibly the most desirable sneaker in history, selling routinely for over $10,000 on secondary reselling websites. The “Red Octobers” were infamously the last Air Yeezy shoe to release in the partnership with Nike and Kanye, as Kanye wanting more influence and power over his own line left to go to Adidas. Nike has been chastised with not realizing just how popular and profitable someone outside of sports could be. Adidas on the other hand has been credited for their foresight and have been rewarded monetarily by the colossal success that has been the Yeezy line. The collaborative line between Kanye West and Adidas has reportedly reached nearly the billion dollar threshold in total sales this year, which amounts to about 8% of Adidas’ entire global business. Another immensely popular collaboration between Adidas and a hip-hop artist is that with Pharrell Williams. The partnership between Pharrell and Adidas has resulted in the vastly popular NMD Hu line. In particular one NMD Hu also collaborated with retail luxury brand Chanel to release the Chanel NMD Hu’s which also regularly fetch tens of thousands of dollars on resell markets. This particular collaboration leads us to the newest trend in collaborations of sneaker companies working directly with famed designers, brands, and even street artists. One of the most popular and successful of these types of collaborations is the release of “The Ten”, partnering the designer of streetwear brand Off-White, Virgil Abloh, and Nike. In this collection Abloh deconstructed and redesigned some of the most popular and iconic sneakers Nike has ever released including the Air Jordan I, Air Force 1’s, Chuck Taylor All Stars, and Air Max 90’s among others. From this, other collaborations with retail brands have become increasingly popular. One of the major collaborators is the brand Kith which has worked with many brands on many different models; however, the most notable would be Kith’s work with Nike on the LeBron 15 model. Another major collaboration with Nike would be that with the street and graffiti artists Kaws and Skepta. Both have worked with Nike to create incredibly popular models such as Kaws Air Jordan IV and Skepta’s Air Max 97’s. Finally, one of the newest trends in the sneaker industry and collaborations is working with YouTube personalities to create their own specific shoes. This was done by the sneaker brand Saucony which enlisted a crew of sneaker influencers from the website to make their own versions of a sneaker.

           So what is the impact of all these collaborators working with these large multi-billion dollar sneaker business? One of the most obvious effects is that it raises the profile of any individual lucky enough to become a collaborator. The giant success of “The Ten” line was most likely instrumental in helping Virgil Abloh become the lead designer of the luxury wear brand Louis Vuitton. Both profiles of Kanye West and Pharrell Williams have been lifted from just hip-hop artists to intriguing and captivating designers. Michael Jordan went from being a great basketball player to a worldwide icon with the popularity of his sneaker line and also boosted him into the billionaire club. Another major impact of the growing amount of collaborations is that collaborations are used as a vehicle for brands to reach new markets. When a brand collaborates with a certain artist or brand, they are often viewed more favorably by their fans than before. Finally, one of the largest impacts, and maybe the most important, is the one it has for consumers. Fans of hip-hop artists are able to buy and wear the same sneakers that their beloved artists wear onstage and on the red carpet. Fans are able to represent and show off sneakers created by their favorite artists and can show patronage to that artist who they may have been a fan of since the early days of their career when a sneaker collaboration never seemed possible. Fans are able to hoop in the exact same sneakers that their favorite players wear on the brightest of stages. Basically, when sneaker companies collaborate with athletes, artist, and other influencers everyone wins.

           Now the only question to answer is wear do sneaker collaborations go in the future. With ever growing sources of media and entertainment perhaps more YouTube personalities, those not even associated with sneakers, may get to collaborate. Perhaps gamers like Ninja and Myth could become a collaborator as their fan bases continue to grow. Either way the direction of collaborations go, sneakerheads like you and I will be here to experience every step along the way.

The Jordan XI: The Greatest Sneaker of All-Time

This Saturday, May 26th, the Jordan XI Cap and Gown drops for the first time for the general public. It will be the latest edition to the lineage of the Jordan XI’s which has become one of the most popular and sought after silhouettes in not only the Jordan line, but of ALL sneakers. So the big question is why? Of course there are many reasons why the Jordan XI may be the king of the sneaker world, but we will start with where the shoe itself started.

The first time that Michael Jordan ever wore the XI’s in game was in the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Orlando Magic. This was after Jordan had returned from his stint in baseball and all eyes were on him. Fans watched in awe as Jordan ran up and down the court in the Concord XI’s, with black patent leather by the outsoles and a fine white ballistic mesh on the upper and of course a 45 stitched into the heel. However, Jordan and the Bulls stay in the playoffs would be cut short; however, this was far from the last time the world would see the XI’s in action. The Jordan XI’s design in itself is extraordinary. When legendary sneaker designer Tinker Hatfield was in the process of making Jordan’s new model he watched film to evaluate how MJ played and how he could help his game with a shoe to compliment his style. He noticed MJ’s foot would slide off the soles of his shoes when making hard cuts, so to help with this he added patent leather, a first for a performance sneaker, along with a padded collar and tongue for extra support and comfort. He also replaced the common plastic shank plate with carbon fiber, another first, which when sitting in the translucent- “frosty”- outsole along with the full Air Sole unit gave MJ extra bounce to compliment his already absurd athleticism. Jordan would go on to wear the XI during the 1995-96 season. This season would cement the Jordan XI in history. MJ and the Bulls would win a then record 72 games, giving one XI colorway its namesake the “72-10’s”. MJ took the silhouette to Hollywood where he wore a black/varsity royal/white colorway in the move Space Jam. The aptly named “Space Jam” XI’s would go on to be worn by MJ in that year’s playoffs and become one of the most popular colorways of all XI’s. During the season’s All-Star game MJ wore an all-white pair of XI’s with light blue accents, later dubbed “Concords” or “Legend Blues”, winning the contest’s MVP for the second time in his 10th appearance. At the onset of the 1996 playoffs MJ debuted the “Bred” colorway, an all-black upper with red outsoles, in a 102-85 whooping of the Miami Heat. He wore this particular colorway for much of the postseason and also earned them the “Playoffs” moniker. Jordan and the Bulls would go on to win the Championship that year, their fourth and first of their second 3-peat, to cement the team as well as the Jordan XI’s in history.

However, this far from the last time that the Jordan XI would have an impact in the world of sneakers. When the XI’s first were made MJ was quoted saying that people would wear them with a tuxedo. This came into fruition only months later when R&B group Boyz II Men each donned a pair of XI’s with their tuxedos at an awards show. This further boosted the popularity of the shoe into mainstream media and the general public by making it a fashion staple as well as a performance sneaker. Even in today’s age, numerous celebrities, such as Drake, Kevin Heart, and DJ Khaled among others, can be seen wearing the same colorway staples that Jordan wore himself during games, as well as ultra-rare iterations of the shoe. One such grail as the “Snakeskins”, which replace the patent leather around the midsole of the shoe with its namesake, are so rare that they are considered priceless. Each year Jordan brand releases several low versions of the shoe, which does not go as far up on the ankle. Some of these follow the same colorways released in the high version that Jordan himself wore. Others such as last years released “UNC” lows, which sports the patent Carolina blue as the patent leather, or the recently released “Cool Gray” lows continue to keep the Jordan XI silhouette at the front of every sneaker heads mind. Besides these low versions of the XI’s and special releases such as the “Pantone” XI’s, an original high-top version of the shoe that is completely covered in Carolina blue from the patent leather to the ballistic mesh upper, and “Cool Gray” XI’s, an original high-top style that is adorned with gray patent leather and a gray suede upper, sneaker lovers have become accustomed to Jordan brand dropping one version of the Jordan XI in the original high-top style each year around Christmas. During the 2016 holiday season Jordan brand announced they would be re-releasing the “Space Jams” for the first time since 2009. This resulted in one of the most successful and lucrative releases in all of Jordan Brand’s and in fact all of sneaker history. This past year sneaker heads were treated by Jordan Brand when they announced that they would be releasing two versions of the coveted Jordan model. These two models would be two completely new iterations of the shoe in never before seen colorways that paid respect to Michael Jordan’s illustrious career itself. One model was dubbed the “Win like 82’s” which featured a game royal patent leather on the mid-sole with a white upper and then a Carolina blue Jumpman logo. This model was made to commemorate MJ’s game and national championship winning shot as a freshman playing for the University of North Carolina in 1982. The second model was named the “Win like 96’s”, completely decked out in all red from the ballistic mesh upper down to the red patent leather. This particular model was named to celebrate the entirety of Michael Jordan’s historic 1996 season, the same season you may recall that the Jordan XI was truly cemented in history.

All of this leads back to the coming release of the Jordan XI “Cap and Gown”. This particular model is entirely decked out in black, both the ballistic mesh and the patent leather, with the classic translucent “icy” sole. This particular release marks a celebration of the Jordan XI itself and the mark it has left on both the sporting world, which continues to be a popular footwear choice for professional and amateur athletes alike, as well as on mainstream popular culture. Whether being worn by Michael Jordan during the heat of competition or on the feet of numerous celebrities, the Jordan XI is an iconic silhouette in the sneaker world and sits atop as the greatest sneaker of all-time.