Nike 'M. Frank Rudy' Pack
If not for “Air,” Nike likely would not have become as big as it is today. So to celebrate over four decades of the technology, The Swoosh is paying its respects to its creator, Marion “Frank” Rudy, with an Air Max 90 and 97 Pack.
Despite having been producing shoes with exposed Air units since 1987, Nike and its team of designers had been expanding on the boundaries with Ruby’s original design year after year. The big breakthrough finally happened in 1997 under the guidance of Christian Tresser, as his 25-year-old creation introduced the first full-length Air Max solution (the bag was no longer isolated at the heel or fragmented across the length of the shoe). To honour not only 35 years of the revolutionary technology, but 25 years of Tresser’s design and a lifetime of impact from Rudy’s mind, Nike have created a special edition of the Air Max 97. Covered in shades of “White,” the sneaker’s most notable details are the “aged” components toward the sole unit (Airbag included), “Since 1997” text at the lateral midsole, “M. FRANK RUDY”-branded aglets and the California license plate-reminiscent hangtag adorning the shoe.
Nike’s homage to the Father of Air continues with the Air Max 90, whose simple colorway packs a few nods to the accomplished Aerospace Engineer. “M. Frank Rudy”is printed onto the aglets, while a signature can also be found along the sockliner amidst a blueprint-inspired graphic. Elsewhere, “Est. 1990” is typed right onto the cushioning itself, referencing the debut of the silhouette itself; a hangtag modeled after a California license plate is strung on the laces. Lastly, the heel tab is rendered partially clear, ostensibly mimicking the look of Air cushioning.
The Nike 'M. Frank Rudy' Pack drops Thursday 22 September in CPT, JHB and online. First come first serve.
Online at 7am, stores from 10am.
Nike 'M. Frank Rudy' Air Max 97: R3599
Nike 'M. Frank Rudy' Air Max 90: R2999
Sizes: UK6, UK7, UK8, UK9, UK10, UK11.