26.03: A Look at Previous Air Max Day Releases
26 March 1987 marked the release of the very first Nike Air
Max 1 sneaker. The legendary colour code on the box was White/Light
Neutral Grey/Red. At the time, this sneaker was called the Nike Air Max 1
Varsity Red. Today we call this the ‘OG’ Red. The shoe was
revolutionary because it was the very first time you could see an air
cushion on the outside of a shoe.
The first Air Max 1 showed that a sneaker could also be stylish. It directly led to the passion of sneakerheads the world over today. Air Max Day, first celebrated in 2014, has become a celebration of sneaker and street culture; embracing our creativity and supporting our communities. During these 24 hours, Nike celebrates the legendary line with special drops, live content, quizzes and more.
Perhaps most notably, in recent years the shoe has become a popular choice for collaborations. In the modern sneaker game, collaborations are the key to having a hot sneaker and the Air Max 1 has had no shortage of hot collaborations. From Atmos to Parra to Patta to Concepts this shoe remains relevant to a new generation of consumers.
Nike Air Max Day Releases: A look back on our favourites
2014:
Nike Air Max 1 OG Red 3.26 Anniversary. The OG Red with a fluorescent
yellow-green sole. The story goes that this coloured sole was considered
for the very first Nike Air Max 1.
2015:
Nike Air Max Zero. Before Tinker fleshed out the Nike Air Max 1 in its
current form, his sketches were how the Air Max Zero was released. So in
2015, the Zero was a completely new release, but based on sketches that
are more than 30 years old.
2016: Nike HTM. HTM is the abbreviation of a collaboration between Hiroshi Fujiwara, Tinker Hatfield and Mark Parker. HTM guarantees innovation. They released three innovative non-AM1 pairs.
2017:
The best Air Max Day ever. First of all, the Anniversary OG Red.
Possibly the most beautiful retro of the original colourway that has
been released. Next, the Nike Air Max 1 Master of Air. The hype about
this release was at its maximum. In addition, the Atmos Elephant also
received a retro release. The 4th Air Max 1 was an Ultra LE 2.0 OG Red
Anniversary.
2018:
The hybrid Nike Air Max 1/97 Sean Wotherspoon, an all-time classic and a
holy grail on the list for most sneaker collectors. It is not without
reason that you pay a fortune for this sneaker.
2019:
Nike switched things up in 2019, focusing instead of its ‘Give Fresh
Air’ campaign, where Nike fans were encouraged to donate new and gently
worn sneakers to partner retailers in the United States and Canada.
2020: Celebrating the Air Max 90, this year saw a release unavailable in South Africa, featuring metallic colours.
2021: Nike Air Max 1 Evolution of Icons. A great release with a nod to past design details.
2022: Three Air Max 1s released with the Nike Air Max 1 La Ville Lumière released in South Africa and worldwide. The same year, the Air Max 1 Blueprint and Wabi Sabi were released but only in specific markets, not available in South Africa. These are hard to find and are on the wish list of many sneakerheads.
Air Max Day 2023
The Nike Air Max 1 Big Bubble returns with a reference to 1986. []
The Nike Air Max 1 '86 'Big Bubble'drops on the 26th of March 2023 in both men's and women's sizing for R2999.
First come first serve. Online and stores at 10 am. CPT release on Monday the 27th of March.
Men's Sizes Online & In-store: UK6, UK7, UK8, UK9, UK10, UK11.
Women's Sizes Online & In-store: UK3, UK4, UK5, UK6, UK7, UK8.