For sneaker heads, Air Max Day is mayhem in the best way. On March 26, one of Nike’s most iconic models outside of the Air Jordan 1 is celebrated. Nike treats this “sneaker holiday” in true to brand fashion, with a strong of fire releases throughout the month of March. Outside of the brick-and-mortar Air Max-centric pop-ups, Nike will drop a slew of exclusive models and color ways, collaborations with old friends, and re-releases, all under the Air Max umbrella. So mayhem meaning a great time for sneaker heads to pick up exclusives Air Max’s, or to take the inevitable L on the most limited models.
The long standing Nike line has been a fan favorite since the initial release in 1987. In the 30 years since the iconic red-and-light grey Air Max 1 was released, hundreds of variations of the Air Max 1 have sent the sneaker world into a frenzy time and again. While Tinker Hatfield’s seminal design has withstood the fickleness of trend and hype, different collaborations are ranked amongst some of the best sneakers released.
One color way that will be brought back for this year’s Air Max Day Air is the Air Max 1 x atmos Elephant color way. While originally released in 2006, this release was actually voted to be brought back by the sneaker loving public, and for good reason. In a recent interview with Nike News, atmos designer Hirofumi Kojima stated his inspiration for the design was bathing elephants. The design features Jordan elephant print against a splash of Jade, a memorable use of the Air Jordan III cement print that pops out.
However, this isn’t the first time the Japanese footwear boutique has collaborated with Nike on an Air Max 1 colorway. In 2002, the two teamed up for another wildlife-inspired pack dubbed the “Air Max Safari,” itself a color variation of an earlier Tinker Hatfield model called the “Air Safari.” This initial collaboration was aimed at expanding the Air Max 1’s fanbase to the Japanese market. Since the Atmos has been considered one of the top sneaker boutiques in the world for many years, it is no stranger to collaborations and exclusive releases. Ultimately, the collaboration paid off, with the atmos color ways being amongst the most coveted releases on the sneaker market.
So if you’re an Air Max fan, this is your month. You’ll have to wait in see what surprises Nike drops on March 26th. If you have a pair, maybe its time to give them a quick scrub like @emilwaddup did with Angelus cleaner.
And if not, make your own Air Max 1 color way, like these great South Beach customs by @davidzcustom for example.
Actually, make your own anyways and tag us at #angelusdirect!