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How the Air Max 97 Became One of Nike’s Best Sneakers of 2017

 Hey what’s up everybody, for Complex News I’m Justin Block. 2017 has been one of the most perplexing years for sneakers in recent memory. Adidas has officially jumped over Jordan Brand, dad shoes are cool for the first time, and celebrities have become more influential in the footwear industry than athletes. Crazy, right? As Complex Sneakers Associate Editor Matt Welty recently argued, what if we told you that one of the greatest surprises in 2017 was that the Nike Air Max 97, out of nowhere, became one of the biggest sneakers this year? Because, well, it did.   It all started last year, actually, when Nike had a limited launch of the original silver version of the shoe in Italy, where the sneaker has the greatest popularity. Nike re-launched the “Silver Bullet” Air Max 97 in Milan in 2016 to start off the 20th anniversary of the sneaker, and dropped a limited run of it that featured an Italian flag on the heeltab and tongue of the OG colorway. It was just a drop to quench the public’s unknowing thirst for the shoe, but it would slowly build up. The sneaker, with out the green, white, and red flag, would eventually release in Europe with endless restocks following it. Then it released in the States, and it spread to people who you never would have imagined wearing it. The crazy thing about the Air Max 97 getting popular, especially in the States, is that it really hadn’t had much success for previous releases. When the sneaker retroed in 2009, it just sat on shelves and went on sale. But something changed this year. Maybe it was Nike’s master marketing plan of making people buy things they didn’t know they needed—or maybe the sneaker was put into the right historical context in 2017, and just fit in. When the Air Max 97 was first released, it was designed by Christian Tresser to look like Mountain Bikes, although many people thought it was meant to look like the Japanese bullet trains. It’s this technical look to the sneaker, which was the first Nike shoe to feature full-length Air Max, that makes it look current, even 20 years after its initial release. Let’s fast forward to 2017, though. Nike dropped the sneaker during now-annual Air Max Day, which lasted a month this year. It was followed by a re-release of the original “Gold” colorway and even a Swarovski version of the Silver Air Max 97 for women, which retailed for $400. The sneakers were all well received, even if the resale value on them isn’t astronomical. That’s because Nike made enough pairs to go around to nearly everyone that wanted to wear them. Then the brand did something that few people saw coming, and collaborated with UK grime artist Skepta on the 97, and it’s been one of Nike’s best releases this year in terms of storytelling, given that the sneaker was inspired by one of his favorite sneakers ever: the Air Tuned Max. After that came the Undefeated Air Max 97, which played off, once again, Italy’s obsession with the shoe and used Gucci’s red and green colors on the shoe. They re-release this week across the globe and have been a big hit with resellers, although some people were critical of the sneaker at the first. It’s been this consistent string of pumping the Air Max 97 in mass and limited quantities that made the shoe what it is right now. And it was kind of a big risk for Nike, but it paid off. But guess what? Everyone’s wearing it. That’s the news for now, but for more on your favorite sneakers, subscribe to Complex on YouTube today. For Complex News, I’m Justin Block