Nike Air Max 90: The Story Behind the Shoe
Adopted in many cultures from art, music, and fashion, Tinker Hatfield’s Air Max 90 has been reinterpreted in a slew of variations and collabs since its post-2008 reissues. Embracing the same modern tech as its predecessor merged with the distinctive Waffle outsole, it was the original ‘Infrared’ paint-up that solidified the sneaker as a streetwear linchpin.
Following on from the revolutionary Air Max 1, a silhouette that had no equal when first released, the Nike Air Max 90 took all the radical aesthetics that were originally included by Hatfield and evolved them in various ways. Blending and mixing colours throughout, Hatfield set out to produce a unique, fast and ultimately aggressive-looking runner that advanced on from its elder siblings, the Air Max 1 and Air Max Light.
The AM90 legendary midsole section exaggerates the thickness of the visible Air unit. Not only is the bubble in the heel something to grab your attention, but the new thermo-plastic multi-lace ports and oversized branding are aspects that just don’t go unnoticed. In every way, Hatfield created a revolutionary model with the Air Max 1, but when he created the Air Max 90 he was paving the way for a future of Visible Air, an unrivalled form of cushioning.
Three decades have passed since the Air Max 90 first graced the shelves in 1990 and we guess it’s safe to say a lot’s changed for Nike’s Air Max lineage ever since. Originally dubbed the Air Max III, the AM90 was only the third silhouette to boast visible Air-tech in the sole unit and thanks to its timeless design, the Air Max 90 has always managed to stand the test of time.
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