Nike Air VaporMax

Get ready to run on… nothing! Sounds crazy, but that’s really what’s like to wear Nike Air VaporMax . When Nike designers Tom Minami and Zach Elder launched this innovative new running shoe in 2017, they said they were fully delivering on Air’s original promise made back in 1987 by Tinker Hatfield when he designed the first ever Air Max. Hatfield decided to reveal the ‘hidden’ technology of Air to the world of running, an idea which popped into his mind after a visit to the famous Pompidou Centre in Paris, whose building also shows its internal structure. A revolutionary move by the American. Within 30 years Nike managed to expand the visible Air from a small under-the-heel, completely encased in a foam midsole, to an Air only sole with no foam at all. It was a long ride from the moment Air Max 1 first hit the scene in 1987 to 2017, which was Nike VaporMax’s time to shine. The world witnessed Nike launch mens and womens shoes, Nike VaporMax evolve into trainers and VaporMax become ladies specified. We even saw the introduction of grade school shoes targeting boys, girls and kids with junior sizes. The world biggest stars such as Neymar, Ronaldo (CR7), Travis Scott and Odell Beckham Jr (OBJ), start wearing VaporMax with style. From the moment they came onto the scene, people in the UK and the rest of the world have rushed out to the nearest store whenever VaporMax goes on sale, hoping to buy the latest model at a cheap price. Air Vapormax is one of the few Nike shoes that exist in two worlds at once, they gets sneaker freaks’ hearts racing while also allowing athletes to run effortlessly. With that in mind, let's break down the design.

Designing shoes for Nike means letting technology and comfort lead the way. That’s the best route to achieving their fundamental goal: enabling athletes to perform to the best of their abilities. As a result, technology and comfort largely determine the overall aesthetic of the shoe, and that is definitely the case with Nike VaporMax. In 2010, the designers set out to enable athletes to run on nothing but air, the ultimate freedom. This meant they had to get rid of the foam midsole and outsole, and construct the new Air Sole in a way that would deliver the intended cushioning, while also offering the stability and durability a running shoe needs. Heat maps and data analysis of foot placement while running led the designers to strategically place several separate Air units under the foot, explaining the big ‘blocks’ on the outsole. It allowed the fully visible Air system – the eye-catching base of the shoe - to operate as the outsole as well as the midsole. The outsole always consists of nothing but Air, regardless of the material or colour of the upper which varies, for example, in the VaporMax Plus, VaporMax 2019 and Air VaporMax Flyknit. Having no midsole raised some questions. Would it be hard to attach various materials to the Air only outsole? Would it even stick? These worries turned out to be unfounded. Mesh, leather - even suede - all turned out to connect perfectly. This allowed designers to combine uppers from previous Air Max models to the new Air Sole, turning the shoe into more of a sneaker and resulting in collabs like the Nike VaporMax 97, which included the original Silver Bullet colourway, and the Nike VaporMax 95.

VaporMax has had some impressive models since 2017 where Nike wasn’t afraid to use colour. As well as the already impressive All White, the design team produced models completely in orange, in blue (for example the Blue Orbit which originally came from the ‘Day to Night’ pack), and in grey (the famous Wolf Grey shoe). Besides that they also made multicolour rainbow models. Flyknit material opened up a whole new world of detailed colouring. The Oreo, for example, combined tiny black and white stitches. Along the same lines, it’s also worth mentioning Zebra and Safari. The two models look very similar apart from the energetic orange Air Sole of the Safari. From the same nature series, VaporMax also has a model called Tiger, which has the animal’s print on the back heel.This already sounds unusual in itself, but VaporMax has had some other extraordinary models. Let’s start with Nike VaporMax Utility. The shoe, also known as Nike Air VaporMax Run Utility, has a slightly industrial look and is made specifically for off-road running. It even took the Flywire out of the Flyknit jacket and features some reflective panels on top. It shows what VaporMax is capable of. The shoe allows for remarkable special editions, working with famous designers. The Cactus, with its out-of-the-box look is one of those shoes. Virgil Abloh’s Off White VaporMax, a completely white or black version with some small copy on the side, orange details and big red tag, is slightly more sleek and fashionable. Likewise, the mesmerizing Triple Black version is one to look out for. Not to be confused with the laceless Comme des Garcons (CDG) edition, which was released all in black. Another collaboration was with Acronym. The brand saw its work on the VaporMax ‘as a visual project’, resulting in a disruptive V-shaped print. Edison Chen’s fashion label CLOT got a blank canvas to work with, the artist went for a bright red colour. Another interesting variation is the Inneva. It stands out because it has a woven upper. And of course we shouldn’t forget the Nike VaporMax OG. A newer version of the first VaporMax, which lovers of the original will adore.  It’s also possible to design your own custom-made pair with Nike ID. The VaporMax has pulled off some quite impressive looks over the years, and there’s no sign of that slowing down anytime soon.

Nike VaporMax Plus

One of the VaporMax design team's biggest worries was how any upper would hold on to their new, innovative, fully visible Air Sole. They knew how well all kinds of materials stick to a foam midsole, but now the foam midsole wasn’t there to attach the upper to, it had to be glued straight to the Air units. It sparked the sneaker-focused designers imagination. Lots of uppers from older running shoes got the chance to be fitted to the VaporMax sole. Nike Air VaporMax Plus is a great example. Here's the formula: fully Air sole + Air Max Plus upper. It gives the shoe an even more spacecraft-like feel, travelling back to the 90s with the Nike Vapormax Plus’ interesting colour combinations. The Black Volt, the Sunset, with its recognisable rainbow fade, and the Obsidian Blue were resurrected by the Nike TN VaporMax. Colours made famous in the last century now got a second life on a 21st century sneaker. Note, the famous ‘Tn’ logo from the older 95 was replaced by ‘Vm’. The VaporMax Plus lends itself well to collabs. Take the winning pair designed by Lou Matheron for the ‘Nike On Air’ design competition. The main reason for its success was the emerging trend which began in 2015, of young people wanting to wear sneakers with a 1990s look. Air Max Plus was launched in 1998. A few years before that, Nike designer Sean McDowell was enjoying a stunning sunset on a Californian beach when he suddenly got the inspiration for the Plus’s colourful upper. The palm trees blowing in the wind along the shoreline inspired the wave-like pattern. Nike played it well, going on to design some cool white, black and red, as well as a rainbow versions. They ingeniously combined past and future, with a 90s upper and a futuristic base.

Nike VaporMax Flyknit

We would never have had the Nike VaporMax Flyknit if it wasn’t for the year 2012. Back then, Nike launched its groundbreaking Flyknit technology. An upper made out of one single cord, they claimed. Sounds unstable and weak? It turned out to be anything but. Flyknit is defined by extreme strength, durability and comfort. The single-string upper was manufactured to mould around the foot, giving it a sock-like feel and fit. Combine that with the walking-on-air concept and you would expect to get a shoe that provides for an effortless run, and that’s exactly what VaporMax Flyknit offers. It didn’t take long for Nike to produce the Nike Air VaporMax Flyknit 2 and 3. In those women’s and men’s shoes the Flyknit technology got an update, with the material made even softer, tighter, and more light. One of the biggest assets of the VaporMax Flyknit is its multicolour use. The detailed stitching of the Flyknit material allows designers to go all out. It has blessed this shoe, as well as the laceless VaporMax Flyknit Moc 2, with nice mysterious shades of purple, navy and khaki. That last version shouldn't be mistaken for the the green Camo, which distinguishes itself by the striking pink lug under the biggest air pod beneath the heel. Other models had less colour but weren’t any less flashy. The All Black, including the Air sole, for example. Or, on the other hand, the Pure Platinum which is completely white, even leaning towards silver. Building on that look, the Metallic is also totally white but has a metallic back heel. There was another dark-bright duo in the form of the dark grey Midnight Fog on one hand with its black Air system, and the light grey Asphalt on the other with its transparent AirPods. And of course don't forget the Flyknit Utility, a remarkable mid-level version with minimal Swoosh branding on the upper, all made from flyknit material. This variety of Flyknit SE (special edition) shoes shows the possibilities with the Flyknit version of VaporMax are endless.

Nike Vapormax 2019

It seems like ages ago that the VaporMax first graced our planet. The fact is, it has only been around since 2017. Building on the success of Flyknit for two sequels, the Nike design team decided to rework the upper for the launch of the Nike VaporMax 2019. The biggest difference: no Flyknit. New material called Nexkin was developed. Out went the single strings, in came a ‘translucent stretch-woven material’, as Nike called it themselves. As with Flyknit it provided stability, breathability and hugged the foot, but Nexkin was more durable and waterproof. Even Flywire went out the door for the Nike Air VaporMax 2019. It was replaced by another cage-like design. Visible from the outside, the bridge-like structure offered more stability for the runners 'and walkers' feet. Without Flyknit, it unavoidably lost some of the colouring. Instead of subtle little colour differences, the Vapormax 2019 got some other impressive colourways. The first model released in 2019 certainly caught people's attention. It was possible to choose between a white and gold, black and gold, or even copper-coloured, shoe. All in all, the century with VaporMax looks promising.