story

"My name is Aleksandra Pollner, and I'm a Material Designer on Footwear".

"My name is Katsunobu Asayama aka Asapon. I'm working for Footwear, Colour and then Graphic Design".

"I'm Kazue Miyazaki. I'm a Product Manager. What's your first memory of Air Max 1? The model was so fascinating in that there was a window into the interior part ... "

"And also, it was one of the first models where I really saw that sneakers were used to define and express style".

"This is the first successful, Visible Air Bag shoe, and that kind of changed the history of the sneaker world. What parts of the AM1 caught your eye first?"

"For sure the Visible Air. Yeah. Also, I like the flat sole".

"This shoe is really comfortable to wear, and I really like the detail of this overlay. I also really love the silhouette ... "

"The lines that are coming and weaving along with some of the materials that were on the original. And I really liked how you felt a little bit elevated, so it felt really good to wear".

"But I think the biggest thing in our conversations was always about quality and craft, and having that craft really speak out ... "

"With the really big stitching highlighting that. Also, it's an extremely well-crafted, almost handmade shoe".

"Yeah, so imperfection is part of this story. The materials are a little bit washed out, the leather has no coatings, it doesn't absorb colour fully".

"Our own imperfection is not a bad thing but a unique gift that has the power to inspire other people. The element of authenticity of being real ... "

"Is a beautiful component of our unique individual personalities. A key element is the mismatching right and left colour, and also the 35-year-old sneaker".

"The design process started from digging into the history of the Air Max 1. Just as we pass on heirlooms to the next generation, this is also kind of an heirloom that you're passing on".

"A heritage of sorts. And so that representation is really reflected in the quality of the model itself and what it has meant for me".

Behind the Design

Air Max 1 'Premium'