Nike Air Max 720

Air Max 720

When Nike first revealed their Air Max technology through a transparent window in the sole of the Air Max 1, it conveyed performance. Each subsequent Air Max design sought to take visible air even further, providing runners with more and more support with each new model. Then, in 2018, the brand pushed the boundaries of the Air Max by releasing a shoe with a massive 32mm heel. So, in the following year when an even bigger heel was proposed, many at Nike, including Footwear Design Lead Jesi Small, wondered if they had gone too far. Of course, within the context of Air Max’s groundbreaking technology, which constantly seeks to advance the frontiers of innovation and fashion, this might seem like an unusual thing to be concerned about. In the end, Small’s team came to the conclusion that such a large heel would communicate the highest level of comfort. And with that, the decision was made – Nike would once again produce a revolutionary shoe, this time in the form of the unconventional Nike Air Max 720. 

As a lifestyle sneaker, Nike designed the AM720 to provide all-day comfort rather than running performance, and the exaggerated sole exhibited that idea. Reaching an imposing 38mm at the heel, the eye-catching full-length Air cushion is Nike’s tallest ever. This gives it 360-degree visibility along the length of the outsole, with the same from bottom to top, adding up to 720 – hence the name. Developing such an extraordinary component presented some interesting challenges, and the creators wondered how they would be able to manufacture it with the strength to hold up to everyday use. Firstly, they gave the sole a foam centre to provide a stable base for the airbag to wrap around. Secondly, they added a split seam so that the TPU would stretch without breaking as the foot pressed down into it.

These two innovations secured the outsole, while the rest of the design followed from there to amplify its comfort and style. The upper was made of a puffy engineered mesh for a soft feeling against the foot. It was decorated with curvy indented lines that alluded to the Air Max styling of the 90s, alongside a distinctive boomerang badge where the swoosh would normally sit. Meanwhile, each Air Max 720 was constructed using 75% recycled material to express Nike’s intention to achieve sustainability through their Move To Zero initiative.

The Nike Air Max 720’s original release on February 1st, 2019 featured two dynamic colourways that coalesced around a simple and powerful theme: nature. These made up the Northern Lights Pack, which emulated the shifting tones of the Aurora Borealis – shimmering blue purple for the night and glowing greeny blue for the day. A second set dropped on February 21st, this time representing the changing colours of the sky, with the Sunrise sneaker featuring a bold orange to red gradient from toe to heel, and the upper of the Sunset colourway moving from pink to purple towards a translucent sapphire blue heel. A third set was made available to the public on February 28th, completing a month of memorable colourways inspired by natural occurrences. This included an entirely black shoe known as Total Eclipse, the Sea Forest colourway, whose gradient from turquoise toe to deep blue heel reflected great oceans, the Pink Sea sneaker, which shifted from a pale blue to a vibrant pinky red at the rear, and the Desert Gold, with its varying sandy tones. This theme embodied the Air Max 720’s synergy of advanced innovative technology and a philosophy embedded in nature.

The 720 was created through a coming together of Nike’s more environmentally-conscious, lifestyle-oriented future and the heritage of the Air Max tradition. From this meeting of old and new, the Nike Air Max 720 emerged as something completely unique to the present, with more Air than ever – a sneaker that underlined Nike’s desire to produce pioneering, futuristic footwear which still honours its past.