It’s been 30 years since Nike introduced visible Air cushioning to the world, and while it took years to perfect the groundbreaking technology, there is no denying that the Air Max series changed the sneaker world forever.
Throughout the last three decades, Nike has introduced various cushioning technologies in their sneakers, but few of them have had the staying power of the exposed (and constantly re-worked) Air-Sole unit that brought the Air Max line to life. What began as a revolutionary performance mechanism soon became a household name and an iconic symbol of street style. Think about it: While most sneakers tend to excel in one particular area, the versatility and continuous advancements of the Air Max range managed to win over competitive runners, weekend warriors and fickle sneaker enthusiasts.
As Nike gets ready to celebrate the fourth annual Air Max Day on March 26, 2017, the future is looking brighter than ever. But, before we get to that...read on for a brief history of Nike’s beloved Air Max series highlighting some of the sneaker's major milestones.