THE ONE BEFORE THE 1 TEASER

As part of this year’s AIR MAX DAY celebrations, NIKE have teased us with the release of the THE ONE BEFORE THE 1: an AIR MAX design that pre-dates the iconic Air Max 1.

The video takes us back through time and shows the evolution of the Air Max silhouettes in reverse, finishing with the Nike Air Max 1. As the model floats away, we see that there’s a sketch on the desk of another Air Max design, which is being referred to at the moment as the THE ONE BEFORE THE 1. Now, chances are if you are reading this, you already know about the Nike Air Max 1 (also known as the Air Max 87)… but what you might not know is that before Tinker Hatfield designed that iconic shoe, he came up with this design, with the help of then-developer Matt Parker. The sketch gives us a good idea of how the shoe might look and we can definitely see elements of this design that have inspired various parts of Air Max models throughout the years – for example, that toe area looks similar to the one seen on the Air Max 90 Current. Although this silhouette was considered to be too futuristic when it was first designed, it’s very much in-line with the aesthetics that we see now. We’re looking forward to seeing more on this interesting shoe.

We expect to see more of the THE ONE BEFORE THE 1 in the coming days, as AIR MAX DAY is only a few days away. Be sure to keep checking back with us for a proper look and that all-important release info.