The Nike Air Max 1 is one of the most iconic silhouettes of all time and to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its original release, there has been a significant focus on the model since last year’s Air Max Day with the launch of Nike’s Masters of Air, Vol. 1. 

Leading up to March of 2017, pictures began surfacing of an Air Max 1 that resembled Nike’s famous “What The” series which typically fuses the most popular iterations of the silhouette onto a single pair of shoes, offering the best of every pair. We soon learned that this pair will be called the Air Max 1 “Master”, rightfully named after the “Masters of Air”, who Nike defines as “passionate ambassadors of Air Max culture; a connoisseur of leather, mesh, nylon, and above all else, Visible Air.”

Throughout the years, there have been countless amazing iterations of the Air Max 1 and the Air Max grew to become more than just a shoe, it became a culture. As the designer of the Air Max 1, Tinker Hatfield, says himself: “Listen, this isn’t about me, or even Nike. The product isn’t something you wear, it’s something that you live.”

The Air Max 1 “Master” embodies the history of the silhouette by paying homage to some of the most popular iterations of the shoes throughout its 30 year history. It pulls from 12 of the greatest designs of the Air Max and incorporates it all into one pair of shoes. These design elements are predominantly seen throughout the mudguard of the Air Max 1 “Master”, but it can also be seen throughout the entire shoe.

The 12 different Air Max 1 that can be seen on the “Master” range from rare Friends & Family Hyperstrike exclusives to wider releases that were available at Nike Stores. Here is a list of all of the designs on the “Master”:

Air Max 1 “OG Red” (1987)
Air Max 1 “OG Blue” (1987)
atmos x Air Max 1 B “Safari” (2002)
atmos x Air Max 1 B “Viotech” (2003)
Kid Robot x Air Max 1 (2005)
Parra x Air Max 1 “Albert Heijn” (2005)
Air Max 1 Premium “Beast” (2006)
atmos x Air Max 1 Supreme “Animal Safari” (2006)
CLOT x Air Max 1 NL Premium “Kiss of Death” (2006)
Air Max 1 Premium SP “Safari” (2009)
Patta x Air Max 1 Premium “Chlorophyll” (2009)
Patta x Parra x Air Max 1 Premium “Cherrywood” (2010)

The quality of the leather used is amazing, with both smooth and perforated black leather seen throughout the upper and inner lining. The midsoles are done in black to match, and there is a pearlized gum sole as the cherry on top of an already-amazing design. The signature “Master” mudguard is the obvious highlight with its variety of materials and colours, but one of the most underrated elements of the shoes is the chunky black chenille swoosh. There is also an additional set of pink laces, continuing the theme of drawing elements of the Kid Robot x Air Max 1 throughout the entire shoes, whereas the rest of the designs are seen on the mudguard.

In addition to an amazing pair of shoes, those who were lucky enough to pick up a pair got to add one of the best Nike boxes ever to their collection. It can easily be mistaken for your standard red Nike box, but upon closer inspection, you will see that the Nike logo on the top of the box takes inspiration from the mudguard of the shoes and is divided into numerous sections with different prints, ranging from safari to cement. Upon opening the box, on the inner portion of the lid, there is a thank you note from Nike dedicated to the “Masters of Air” who were able to get their hands on the shoes.

These released this past weekend on Nike.ca and I was one of the lucky individuals who got to pick up a pair during the frantic 3AM release. If you struck out online, you will have another opportunity as HAVEN, Livestock & Capsule will be releasing them on March 25th!