Meet The Designers Who Make Art Out Of One Of The World’s Most Recognisable Sneakers

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You could tell the story of the Nike Air Max in many different ways. An ’80s icon that never grew old; a hip-hop head’s cultural currency; an incendiary sneaker spanning decades, charming generations of loyal fans along the way. Launched in 1987, the Nike Air Max changed the sneaker game for good by introducing a style element we now take for granted: it was the first sports shoe to expose the ‘air’ in its heel.

A refreshing change of pace for the sneaker world, the visible air ‘bubble’ was a window to its sole (heh). Known as the Air Max 1, its brazen aesthetics fused sport and style – and the world took notice. From hip-hop to hipster, from rap to rebel, the groundbreaking shoe won over a string of subcultures. Thirty years on and the bubble hasn’t busted — the Nike Air Max continues to be a pop culture obsession.

But it was during the early design phase that creator Tinker Hatfield’s dream almost came to a halt. The unconventional ‘inside out’ shoe, modelled on the fearless exterior of The Centre Pompidou in Paris, made Nike’s marketing team a little nervous. “Who would buy a shoe with a hole on the side of it?” they asked (in French). But Hatfield stayed true to his vision, and in 1987 the Air Max was born.
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More than a hobby never outgrown, for the sneakerhead collecting shoes is an innate desire. It’s no surprise, then, that most kick lovers are also artists. Appreciating design is in their DNA: they understand that each element of a sneaker serves a purpose. Colours generate emotion, shapes attract attention and texture is important from toe to shoelace. The practise of collecting is also a trait of designers; their shrines of towering boxes, like time capsules in living spaces, are both in homage to and a vestige of lost youth.

The nostalgic shoe type has always been in high demand. Nike-commissioned illustrator Andy Dinh was only seven when the Air Max 95 came out – and it was love at first sight. “It’s one of the signature shoes for Nike. Converse has the Chuck Taylors, Adidas has the Superstars, and Nike has the Air Maxes,” he says. It’s true, the Air Max has always been a bestseller. Revising the same classic in different colourways annually — over 150 and counting — has done nothing to diminish the fervour.

While lacing up means different things to different people, a sneaker fan’s loyalty is unwavering. Air Maxes can be found in song lyrics, comic books and on album covers, and — never forget — “Sporty Spice wore the Air Max ‘95s,” reminisces Dinh.

As part of Month Of Max, we’re taking a look at some of the artists who have been inspired by this sartorial icon.

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Matt Stevens

 

What began as a crazy idea resulted in one of the most significant sneaker projects amongst collectors to date. The muse? The Nike Air Max 1. The goal? Draw 100 iterations in 60 days, publish and distribute it. This is just one of the illustrations.

By overlaying the Air Max 1 with the structural framework of The Centre Pompidou in Paris, Stevens tips his hat to the place where it all started. Designer Tinker Hatfield was inspired by its exposed architecture and overt colour blocking, giving birth to the famous ‘inside out’ shoe. The signature colourway of the Air Max 1 was a welcome addition to a sea of white and grey.

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Tim Easley

 

By marrying his two great loves, sneakers and 8-bit art, the UK artist created an incredible 42 sneakers, each individually coloured to reflect real colourways. While he’s illustrated sneakers for well over 10 years, he found the pixel series quite challenging. “When doing 8-bit illustrations, you paradoxically need to show as much detail as possible, while using as little detail as possible.” He used pre-existing colour pairings so viewers could see their own sneakers in his work. Spot yours?

“When doing 8-bit illustrations, you paradoxically need to show as much detail as possible, while using as little detail as possible,” Easley says. He used pre-existing colour pairings so viewers could see their own sneakers in his work. Spot yours?

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Dan Freebairn

 

Dubbed the ‘one before the 1’, this incarnation of the Nike Air Max is said to be one of the earliest design concepts. Based on designer Hatfield’s very first sketches from 30 years ago, Manchester-based graphic designer and Kickposters.com’s Dan Freebairn followed the classic, clean look, which references many design elements of previous models. An updated sock design, heel strap and Huarache-esque back complete the 2015 look.

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Andy Dinh

 

For Air Max 95’s twentieth anniversary, Nike tasked freehand artist Andy Dinh with illustrating the silhouette of the Air Max 95. The brief? Do what the shoe’s designer Sergio Lozano did, and imagine it was made from flesh and blood. With a degree in Biology, Andy Dinh had little trouble creating the anatomy-inspired art. “I wanted to show how complex the design of the shoe really is, like how there are traces of the ribs in every layer, or the forms from the muscle,” Dinh explains.

It’s hard to imagine a shoe reflecting the human body, but the Nike Air Max 95 does just that. The midsole is the spine, the eyelets the ribs, and the layers of panel and mesh represent the muscles, ligaments, tendons and flesh. “It was interesting to see my bio background collide with my love for shoes,” Dinh says. As a process, he found himself dissecting the human anatomy to find the textures and shapes of Sergio Lozano’s shoe. Quite a hard act to follow, but as a self-confessing sneaker obsessive, the New

As a process, he found himself dissecting the human anatomy to find the textures and shapes of Sergio Lozano’s shoe. Quite a hard act to follow, but as a self-confessing sneaker obsessive, the New Yor-kbased artist had no trouble reinterpreting the shoe.

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Sydney is the very first official city to welcome in Month Of Max around the world, so join us for this epic celebration of all things Air Max, and don’t forget to #WearYourAir

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Jasmine is a freelance writer, currently based in London.