Nike VaporMax

Air VaporMax

When Frank Rudy brought his Air technology to Nike in 1977, it began a process of development that wouldn’t reach its eventual conclusion until almost 40 years later. This evolution saw the groundbreaking innovation go from being hidden inside the midsole of Nike’s shoes, to being revealed through a small window on the Air Max 1, to completely replacing the foam in the midsole of the Air Max 360. As the years passed, Nike strived to place more and more Air under the wearer’s feet, until one day, the brand was finally able to provide the ultimate feeling of walking on air with the revolutionary Nike VaporMax.

Achieving the unconventional design of the VaporMax would take seven years of hard work as Nike returned to the original ethos of Air, emphasising optimisation ahead of maximisation. Being such a challenging assignment, Nike allocated two key members of its staff to work on it. The first was Cushioning Innovation Designer Zach Elder, who spent three years working on the cushioning system, before the second, Footwear Innovation Designer and innovation specialist Tom Minami, was brought in to create the upper and complete the design.

The VaporMax sole that Elder designed is entirely unique. It contains a series of TPU lugs that work like tiny pistons alongside air-filled rubber pockets located at high-stress points on the bottom of the shoe which were precisely chosen based on pressure maps of the foot. As the wearer’s step pushes down on the sole, the lugs squeeze upwards into the rubber pockets, which soak up the pressure, distributing it evenly across the sole. When the foot is lifted up off the ground, the pistons spring back so that all of the strain and tension collected in the airbags is released, giving a supremely comfortable bouncy feel to the step.

This remarkable system put the Air VaporMax in a class of its own, but it was far from easy to create. Consisting of more than 39,000 components, this complex sole was only perfected after 15 prior attempts to construct it had failed. By the time of its completion, it had been tested on a staggering 350 runners across 120 different trials on a range of terrains and in all weather conditions, making it one of the brand’s most tested running shoes.

All this effort would prove to be worth it as, seven years after the project had begun, Nike was presented with a shoe that was the culmination of its Air technology – a brand new system which fused the groundbreaking full-length visible Air sole directly to the upper, without any layers in between the two. This meant that the sole was made up of just one piece, rather than the usual combination of an outsole, cushioning and footbed. This direct attachment had required the shoe’s designers to completely change how they approached the construction of an Air Max shoe, leading them to develop new design and engineering processes. They focused less on maximising the amount of Air and more on making the whole design more efficient so that it was more flexible and could move more freely than previous models.

These technological achievements and the translucent, pillowy aesthetic of Elder’s Air sole were perfectly complemented by Minami’s elegant upper. It was made from Flyknit material with a naturally grooved appearance and included Nike’s innovative FlyWire lacing technology, which secured the foot in place. The ultralight thread was seamlessly connected to the Air Max sole with the use of essential materials only, making the shoe incredibly lightweight. This matched the streamlining process that had been established on the sole to give that all-important feeling of walking on air.

Just ahead of its full release, Nike gave its fans a teaser of its revolutionary new design in a collaboration with Commes des Garçons which debuted at the fashion label’s Paris catwalk show in October 2016. Featuring a pair of laceless colourways, one an elegant white, the other a sleek black, the event provided the perfect exposure for the Nike Air VaporMax’s official release for Air Max Day on March 26th, 2017. The launch models were two similar colourways. One was the Pure Platinum, a simple, chic version, while the other had the same base colour with bold University Red elements for a more vibrant look. Both were successful on release thanks to the design’s perfect balance of performance and style. Its substantial cushioning system made it popular amongst runners, while its futuristic look attracted fans from the fashion world as well. Its initial success was boosted by collaborations with brands like Off-White, and the VaporMax sole has since been combined with other classic Air Max lines, including the 95, the 97 and the Plus.

Many also admire the Nike VaporMax for its sustainable construction. During production, each VaporMax sole is put through its paces in a rigorous testing process that ensures each and every one comes out just right. Those which don’t make the grade are broken down before being repurposed into new soles, so everything is recycled. On top of this, each VaporMax is made using a high percentage of recycled materials. This peaked with the release of the Nike Air VaporMax 2020, which had an incredibly low environmental impact as 75% of each sneaker was made up of recycled elements left over from the manufacturing process.

The incredible work that went into producing the Nike VaporMax suggests that the brand always envisaged it as a truly modern sports luxe shoe. The design not only embodied its future-focused slogan – “Air to move you forward” – it also represented a pivotal moment in the history of the Air Max where the technology could finally offer its fans the opportunity to walk on a cloud of air. With three decades of history and seven years of development behind it, the VaporMax achieved the complete Air system, creating a whole new generation of Air for the sneaker enthusiasts of the future.