It's not often in sneaker history that a museum is the inspiration for a shoe, but looking at the Centre Georges Pompidou, a colorful, tube-covered museum in Paris, it's not hard to see the connection. Sneaker legend has it that designer Tinker Hatfield looked to the Paris institution while creating the Nike Air Max 1.
Completed in 1977, the Centre Pompidou's exposed architecture led Hatfield to create the visible air bubble in the Air Max 1's sole. The original colorway also came from the Centre Pompidou's exterior, which is color-coded by the function of each tube. Both the sneaker and the building became icons in their own fields, so there's something about their respective designs that stood the test of time. If you're a fan of the Air Max 1 (like the rest of these guys), check out our list of Everything Sneakerheads Should Know About the Centre Pompidou.