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Sneakerheads rejoice: Air Max Day 2024 has arrived. As always, this year's Air Max Day delivers amazing results new releases — and reminding us how much we love the 37-year-old sneaker franchise. To celebrate, we've gathered some essential information on how to tackle this year's releases and rounded up our ten favorite Air Max sneakers of all time.
What is Air Max Day?
Air Max Day — held annually on March 26 — celebrates one of Nike's oldest and most beloved lines with Air Max sales, events and special content. It's also time to recognize the legendary designers who helped create and continue the Air Max line, including key players from Tinker Hatfield, who created the first Air Max shoe in 1987, to Christian Tresser, who designed it Air Max 97.
The past Air Max days have released now iconic variations such as the Nike Air Max 90 'Bacon' reissue and the Sean Wotherspoon Air Max 1/97.
Air Max Day 2024 Releases
As always, Nike is introducing some very special new shoes for Air Max Day this year. Perhaps the most notable release of the day is a brand new Air Max silhouette to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Air Max Day. Compiled the Air Max Dnthe all-new sneaker comes in a few colorways and promises to be “the future of Air technology,” according to Nike.
Several Air Max Dn colorways will release on the special day. Plus, you can expect other notable releases, including new colorways of classic silhouettes. Head to Nike.com to see everything that's released today.
The 10 Best Nike Air Max Sneakers, Ranked
As you'd expect from a sneaker line with so much history, there are plenty of Air Max to choose from in addition to the latest releases. Below, we've rounded up and ranked our ten favorite Air Max sneakers of all time in honor of the shoe line's big day.
Farfetch
Call us nostalgic: The Air Max 1 — specifically on its own classic red color — still the best Air Max ever. They look even better today than they did in 1987, providing some pop without being overly loud or flashy. We particularly like the 2017 anniversary reissue, which can be had for a relatively reasonable price on resale sites like Farfetch and StockX.
2. Sean Wotherspoon Air Max 1/97
Liberal use of bright colors has been a staple of the Air Max line since the beginning, and no one did it better than Sean Wotherspoon. The artist release in 2017, the Air MaX 1/97featuring the upper of an Air Max 97 in multi-colored corduroy and the sole of an Air Max 1. The shoes quickly became a statement piece in the sneaker community upon their release, and we think they're just as stylish and wearable today.
Just like its namesake breakfast, it's hard not to love it Air Max 90 Bacon. The shows first released in 2004 in collaboration with 'Dave's Quality Meat' artists and owners Dave Ortiz and Chris Keefe have been re-released for Air Max Day 2021. Both versions are high on style (and cholesterol).
4. Air Max 90 (White)
There are a lot of amazing Air Max cups out there, but these classic white 90s they are hard to top. They were the forerunners of the white Air Force 1 and are still a great choice to inject some '90s style into your wardrobe. Plus, unlike most of the other Air Max on this list, you can pick them up brand new at Nike.com for retail.
5. Air Max 97 OG QS “Silver Bullet”
Inspired by Japan's bullet trains, the Air Max 97 OG “Metallic Silver” or “Silver Bullet” is another one of the trendiest colors of the 97s. They've been re-released not once but twice since their original drop in 1997, with a twentieth anniversary reissue and another in 2022.
6. Off-White The 10: Air Max 97
Virgil Abloh's collaborations with Nike under Off-White are now legendary. We believe that other Off-White Nikes, such as the Air Forces, have become the true icons of the collaboration, but the Air Maxes should not be forgotten. Our favorites? The Off-White Air Max 97 OG “Mint”, showcasing a futuristic wrap-around upper and signature off-white details such as “Air” written on the heel.
The green lace is hidden under the mesh on them “Neon” Air Max 95s took inspiration from a human chest. The result is another great example of the cool kind of futurism that Nike was designing in the 90s. More than two decades later, they still look like something from the future.
The Invincible barely changed the Air Max 97 for his sneaker collaboration, simply adding their name around the top in red and green stripes. But the result was an instantly recognizable classic in the Air Max 97 line — and, in our opinion, an underrated one.
The Air Max 1 “Elephant” Released in collaboration with Japanese brand atmos, the colorway perfectly encapsulates the year 2017. It's a collaborative sneaker, released on top of both, and features a striking colorway that will surely remind us of the 2015-2017 era streetwear forever. (in a good way).
One of the latest Air Max silhouettes is the VaporMax, and we think it deserves more attention. The shoes prove that Air Max technology still deserves a place in your sneakers, as well as your modern sneakers. The revised Air unit is attached directly to the upper (rather than housed in the sole), providing a “running on air” feel, according to Nike. And they're right: The Air unit offers a uniquely soft yet supple feel that reminds us just how well Nike knows sneaker technology.
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