Written by Sean Ho
UPDATE: The entire pack will drop this Saturday on Nike.com, with prices ranging from RM 609 for the Air Max 1, to RM 949 for the Vapormax Tuned.
Opinion Editorial
Nike has officially announced the entire On Air collection of Air Max footwear designed by six individuals from different parts of the world. This contest calls upon the world’s most dedicated Air Max fanatics to create an Air Max silhouette with the concept of both their home city while telling an authentic, personal story. The designs are now finalised, so let’s take a look at each of the 6 finalists.
Air Max 97 “Shanghai Kaleidoscope” designed by Cash Ru
Cash Ru’s iteration of the Air Max 97 takes inspiration from above the atmosphere and into the sky. The “Shanghai Kaleidoscope” pays homage to the city by reflecting her impressions of the ever changing form of the clouds, combining, shifting, and dissipating as they float along the metropolitan skyline.
The 97’s upper uses a multitude of the same materials and cuts to form the illusion of layers mimicking the clouds, accented by 2 pull tabs that are tripled stitched on the back, kind of like Sacai with the double tongue concept. I like the choice of colours that Ru has chosen for her palette; the subtle tonalities of each shade complementing the other as it reflects the gradient of the sky. My favourite Air max silhouette with a unique twist.
Air Max 97 “London Summer of Love” designed by Jasmine Lasode
A much more personal journey, Lasode uses the Air Max 97 to express her love for the city, with a first date up on Primrose Hill. The colours are bright, reflecting the summertime magic and is chock full of small details, including “97P” and “Good Chat” on the pull tab. Not the strongest of contenders, as the mixture of colours puts me off, but I love what it stands for.
Nike Air Max 1 “Tokyo Maze” designed by Yuta Takuman
Takuman’s main takeaway from Japan is the train line, and its sheer complexity as it lines the underbelly of Tokyo. Two types of labyrinth adorn the upper in black and white, with a black midsole and red air bubble to represent the Tokyo Tower. “Tokyo Maze” is visible through the transparent outsole at the bottom, and the whole silhouette is tied together with rainbow laces. The design pulls you in from a far as the curiosity gets to you, until you come closer and sink into all these little details as you glance around the shoe.
Nike Air Max 97 “Neon Seoul” designed by Gwang Shin
The 97 seems to be a popular choice among the contestants, and the Korean iteration of it looks to be one of the best out of the bunch. Graphic Designer Gwang Shin has chosen to reflect the hustle and bustle of Seoul in the night, with neon red and blue accents on the oversized swoosh, with the top half of the upper mimicking the Taaeguk symbol on the South Korean flag, finished with a matte black background. Personally, I feel that this is the best one, and one colourway I’d wear all day, everyday.
The “La Mezcla” inspired Air Max 98 NYC designed by Gabrielle Serrano
According to Gabrielle Serrano, New York is a bustling city, but it is nothing without its people, and that’s the story that she wants to tell with her design. The upper features different tones of brown to highlight different skin complexions, and the finely cracked leather represents the concrete jungle that is New York. I love the story that Serrano tells with the shoe, and execution on the shoe is excellent.
Nike Air VaporMax Plus Paris designed by Lou Matheron.
Taking hints from an under construction Parisian courthouse, Matheron experiments with different shades of grey, highlighting more construced features with a screwed on yellow Swoosh. A safety buckle wraps around the midfoot portion of the silhouette. More construction inspiration is visible in the hi-vis orange and white hazard stripes printed on the insole. The Vapormax Plus has always been a bit of a favourite of mine, and the concept and execution on the silhouette is something that hasn’t been done before, and I applaud the effort.
There’s no official word of its release here, but fingers crossed we get a local drop.
