35 years of the Nike Air Max 1, the Air Max 97’s silver jubilee – Air Max Day 2022 is bigger than most

The Nike Air introduced an airbag in the sole to cushion the impact for the wearer of the shoes coming into contact with a surface. The Air Max 1 let you see it

The window into the sole was a hit in 1987 and spawned multiple Air Max editions that collectors snapped up. Expect more in this anniversary year, and NFTs too

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Air Max Day, March 26, in 2022 will mark 35 years since the release of the original Air Max 1. Its success has spawned multiple editions of the shoe since then. Photo: Getty Images

Published: 4:15am, 26 Mar 2022Updated: 4:56am, 26 Mar 2022

March 26 has been “Air Max Day” since Nike dubbed it so in 2014 in celebration of the brand’s most famous footwear line.

2022 sees notable anniversaries of some of the most groundbreaking silhouettes, namely the Air Max 1 which turns 35, the Air Max 97, marking its 25th birthday, and the Nike Air Vapormax, released on Air Max Day in 2017.

Recent data suggests that the Nike Air Max 270 was the top seller of 2021, with the Nike Air Max 90 and the Nike Air Vapormax Plus also featuring in the top 10. That is set to continue, with many Air Max releases lined up for this anniversary year.

We take a look at the shoes celebrating these birthdays, and the rest of the Air Max lineage.

An installation of Air Max shoes as part of Air Max Con in Hong Kong.

Architectural beginnings

The Air Max 1, also known as the Air Max 87 and created by legendary sneaker designer Tinker Hatfield, is the shoe that is considered to have started it all – but before it there was Nike Air and the 1978 Nike Tailwind.