Studio Brief 02 - Design Process - Research

Facts

The Air Max was first launched in 1987 by Tinker Hatfield.

The Air Max 1 design was inspired by the 'Le Centres George Pompidou' in Paris. The design of the building was based around the concept of being inside out which linked to the air cushion in the Air Max 1 being part of the main aesthetic of the shoe.

The Air Max 1 has a whole book of art dedicated to it. Produced by Matt Stevens, a kickstarter project called 'MAX100' ended up going viral among sneaker fanatics and since has become the biggest art project to do with sneakers in history.

What is viewed as Nike Air technology could've easily been introduced to another company beforehand. Luckily, Nike had the insight to adopt this technology first and Nike Air technology has since dominated the market from its' birth.

The 'air' used in Nike Air technology isn't actually air, but nitrogen.

The air pressure in an Air Max bubble is equal to the pressure in a car tyre (25psi).

George H. W. Bush (the father of George W. Bush) had a pair of Air Max specifically designed for him by Nike.

The Air Max is the shoe with the most replicas ever made to resemble it.

The most expensive pair of Air Max made is the Air Max 1 'Amsterdam' selling at an average price point of £2300.

Some releases of Air Max have never actually made it to shelves, they are instead given as 'friends and family' packs where only people linked to the company Nike itself can obtain a pair of the model. Hence, these releases usually sell for massive amounts of money compared to normal due to the exclusivity.

Nike have collaborated with a number of companies while producing their signature shoe, for example:
Liberty, Parra, Jessie J, atmos, the list goes on!

Nike have produced 10 different model iterations of the Air Max since its' inception in 1987.

The Air Max One was originally designed to be a running shoe, but aesthetics has since taken this over and the shoe is worn for mainly fashion in todays world.

March 26 is international Air Max day, declared by Nike.

Nike released a shoe to mark this day, named the 'Air Max Day' with the date 3.26 imprinted on the tongue.

Imagery

Air Max 1987 OG

Air Max 1 Amsterdam

Air Max 1 Tape Red/White

Air Max 90 Atmos Duck Camo

Air Max 90 Atmos Tiger Camo

Air Max 90 Infared

Air Max 1 Clot 'Kiss of Death'

Air Max 1 x Liberty

Air Max 2014

Air Max 95 OG

Air Max 90 Glossy Black

Air Max 1 Green/Navy Essential

Air Max 1 x Liberty

Air Max 1 x Liberty

Air Max 90 Roundel London Underground

Air Max 1 Patriot

Air Max 90 Clover

Air Max 1 Atmos Camo

Air Max 1 Parra

Air Max 90 Independence Day White

Words

'Revolutionary'

'Classic'

'Timeless'

'Artform'

'Sleek'

'Clean'

'Proportional'

'All-purpose'

'Undying'

'Fashionable'

'Innovative'

'Rule-breaker'

'Stylish'

'Trendy'

'Essential'

'Universal'

'Vintage'

'Quality'

'Unique'

'Exclusive'

Statistics

Opinions

'I see trainers as more of an accessory than an art form. This is because trainers as a whole are meant to be worn with an outfit so they can and should be used to bring colour and flavour to an ensemble as a whole rather than be their own thing. Secondly, my favourite pair of trainers are the ones from the movie Like Mike. Albeit they were old and knackered but they proved to be more than a pair of trainers. They had a soul. '

'Sneakers are an art in their own right; so much hype behind them. People put their whole life into these things that are worn on feet. Sneakers are being collected like Monet and Picasso paintings for crying out loud! So they are art; as someone like Kanye would say, you ain't got the answers! Favourite sneaker would be air mags, they have lights on them or the Jordan 1s or 4s the 4s have them wings that you just gotta let fly. Or the Nike vandals cos they have high tops with the ankle strap. All black air maxs for the win cos of how subtle they are.'

i think they are an art because there are many different types of colourways that depict the persons style and personality and sometimes the fashion they wear revolves around the type of sneakers they wear. My favourite sneakers have to be the jordan XI Space Jams because i really wanted a pair as a child and space jam was my favourite movie. I do like the air max range and if i have to pick a pair then i would have to pick the air max 90 hyperfuse infrareds i like the different colours of the shoe and i prefer the way the shoe feels compared to the normal pair

I don't think they are accessories, they're shoes, kinda necessary things to wear. Some are art in their own right definitely, as a lot of thought and effort has gone into the design and manufacuturing. I do think some trainers are completely overpriced and people only really buy they for the brand identity etc. I couldn't really name a favourite to be honest.

I definitely think they're art in a way. they show personality and everyone wears something individual - the amount of style now means they are a piece themselves instead of just a necessity. I'm a weirdo, but I always look at people shoes, like they're the first thing I notice. Sneaker-wise, Converse are my favourites.

i think they are an art yeah, cus the type of sneaker or trainer you buy, especially if it's an unusual one suggests something about your personality. my favourite trainer are a pair of grey suede vans with blue detail, but they're more like skater shoes. I put pink ribbons in for the laces from a pair of docs I have too, had them for about 5 years and i love them 

I think they are art well some of them anyway haha! I think that a pair of trainers like your clothing is a way of expressing who you are as a person! I've got a few favorites air max 1 or the 87 white/red because they were like the original release, air force 1 mid white because they remind me of the hip hop culture and stefan janoski black white!


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