Playing with Power: the Nike Air Max 97 Nintendo

The NIKE AIR MAX 97 gets a special reload this summer, freshly dipped in classic Nintendo colours. Sit down and power up as we take a closer look…

Designed by Christian Tresser, the Air Max 97 was rumoured to have been inspired by Japan’s high-speed Bullet trains: the reality is that the lines and contours were largely inspired by the geometry of mountain bikes. When the 97 launched in (yes, you guessed it) 1997, mountain bikes were just one of the popular trends around at the time. One of the others was video games and consoles – and with the Nintendo 64 having just launched the previous year, Mario and his pals were arguably the kings of the gaming scene. With this in mind, a celebratory colourway of the 97 makes sense – but more importantly, it looks great as well. With a smart grey base, reminiscent of the Nintendo 64’s controller, the mudguard features a subtle tonal triangular print, with blue, green, red and yellow accents scattered throughout the rest of the upper, midsole and outsole, in homage to the controller’s buttons and the N64 logo. Special tongue badges feature ‘Reset’ and ‘Power’ type – a simple, recognisable reference to the console itself. A Nintendo-styled Air Max logo gets placement on the heel, with a black-and-white printed insole that transforms the game rating icons into a Nike logo. A well-executed piece of footwear indeed.

This Nintendo-inspired edition of the NIKE AIR MAX 97 is AVAILABLE NOW: click the banner below to pick up a pair at NIKE today.