NIKE AIR MAX 90 CURRENT EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW

My apologies for dropping out of sight for a minute. I just got back from a trip out to Beijing and have a ton of stuff to share, but wanted to start off with an exclusive teaser of the Nike Air Max 90 Current until I get settled in again and show you the rest of the gems I’m sitting on.

Many of you may have seen some of the blurry shots posted, as well as noticed the steady buzz building around the internet over the Air Max 90 Current that Nike will be releasing this Fall. A new twist on a Tinker Hatfield classic, the Currents are poised to stoke the flame of adoration for the Air Max 90 for many more years to come. I’m really pleased to be able to present some of the first high-quality studio shots of the Currents, but before I do, I’d like to give the uninitiated a bit of background on them first.

When Tinker Hatfield originally designed the Nike Air Max back in 1987, the driving goal was to create as light, cushioned and functional an athletic sneaker as possible given the technologies and materials of the day. With its clean lines, and Tinker’s innovative decision to go ahead and expose the embedded air pocket that gave the shoe it’s name, the Nike Air Max instantly became a game-changing accomplishment in sports performance footwear. A couple years later in 1990 and still driven by his original goal to create a lighter and more cushioned shoe, Tinker continued to refine the Air Max paving the way for another milestone in high performance athletic footwear found in the Air Max 90. Over the years since then, as the Air Max 90 was released in a vast spectrum of creative colorways and interesting materials, its appeal expanded well beyond the athletes that immediately embraced the 90 to become a favorite amongst the style-conscious set as well. Now, over two decades since its first release, everyone’s enduring love affair with the Air Max 90 would permanently establish its status as a true icon in footwear.

The same year that the Air Max 90 was introduced, Bruce Kilgore (who was also the mastermind behind the Air Force 1) designed the Nike Current, which in turn expanded on materials first found in the Nike Air Flow introduced in 1989. The Flow incorporated a nylon and Lycra stretch fabric into the shoe’s forefoot that reduced the need for bulky materials while providing a comfortable and dynamic fit. Years later, the Presto would further develop this concept and earn accolades as one of the most comfortable athletic shoes ever made.

Fast forward to the present and Jesse Leyva (Global Design Director, Nike Sportswear) and Anthony Hope (Innovation Lead Nike Sportswear) set out to create a new version of the Air Max 90 for Nike Sportswear’s Fall 2008 lineup. While maintaining a sincere respect for the integrity of the original Air Max 90, they starting with the fundamental question, “What if?”. What if Tinker had a material even more cushioning and lighter-weight then the polyurethane and injected rubber that made up the platform of the original Air Max 90? What if Bruce had continued pursuing the comforts and dynamic fit of the mesh upper? What if they both had access to the functionality of Nike Free, serving to give the sneaker a feeling so liberating, that runners have best described it as a feeling akin to running barefoot? What if we go in and systematically attempt to improve every level and component of the original Air Max 90 platform?

Here is Nike’s official answer to all those questions and many more: The Air Max 90 Current. And since I’ve seen little mention anywhere else on when you can expect to get your hands on these, here’s a huge hint… It coincides with another significant event happening in August.

Posted on May 27, 2008 at 09:21 PM   |   Comment  (5 comments)