The innovative full-length Air unit made the Air Max 97 an instant classic upon its debut. But what truly cemented the silhouette’s legacy was its launch colorway: the all-gray ‘Silver Bullet’ edition, inspired by Japanese bullet trains, was an ideal introduction to the sci-fi performance model, whose wavy, streamlined uppers changed the game for running shoes all over again.
2. Nike x Atmos Air Max 1 ‘Safari’
Another legendary linkup between Nike and Atmos, the Air Max 1 ‘Safari’ launched in 2002 in honor of the Air Max’s 15th anniversary. The colorway pays tribute to another now-classic Tinker Hatfield silhouette, the Nike Air Safari, which also launched in 1987 but was instantly overshadowed by the Air Max’s stratospheric success. The tribute was the perfect way to connect the two legacies, reimagining one of the all-time great colorways for a wider audience.
1. Nike Air Max 90 ‘Infrared’
Whether you want to call it the Air Max 90 or the Air Max 3, Tinker Hatfield’s third iteration of the Air Max, released in 1990, is one of the designer’s masterpieces, redefining the scope of the popular running sneaker for a new decade and new generation. Its original colorway, the pink-hued ‘Infrared,’ justly remains one of the most iconic and enduring Air Maxes ever, highlighting the model’s boundary-pushing futurism with effortless simplicity.
