In 1987, the Nike Air Max 1 was the first shoe by Nike that put the Nike Air Technology on full display. Before the Air Max 1, the air pocket was hidden within the heel of the shoe as it was believed that displaying it would probably scare people off. However, when the shoe’s designers bravely displayed the Nike Air technology in the heel, people embraced the change.
People started seeing the Air Max 1 as being a revolution in fashion that changed the image of streetwear forever but the tech that was on display had been hidden in Nike trainers since 1978. It took the genius of designers like Tinker Hatfield to unlock the potential of Nike as a fashion icon and that’s exactly what he did with the Nike Air Max 1.
To go with its controversial appearance, the inspiration of the Nike Air Max 1 came from an unusual muse, The Centre Pompidou in Paris. As a trained architect, it seemed natural for Hatfield to get stimulation from architecture; the ‘inside-out’ style of the building uniquely spoke out to Hatfield whereas others may have drawn nothing from it. The revelation pushed the ex-architect past opposition to the idea and helped the shoe grow to the fame it has today.
