As the collaboration approach to sneaker releases exploded in the early part of the last decade, the various silos within the Nike Air Max heritage were consistently among the most selected as far as team-up projects. Take a look back through our other selections for 97 Nike the Classics Revisited Nike Air Max 95 models, or any of the Nike Air Max 1's and 90's also featured in the space previously, and you'll realize that bubble bottom sneakers where very much where it was at if you wanted to create a minimally produced masterpiece with the likes of Swoosh. And Nike 97 White with all the hullabaloo surrounding those Tier Zero releases the in-house team out in Beaverton had their work cut out for them, forced to compete with the crazy ideas being brought to the table by the likes of DQM, Stash, and Dave White just to name a few.
How did they do? Take a look at this 2004 release and be the judge for yourself. The pair arrived right in time for the four year Olympic cycle with a rainbow of colors striping the upper to situate itself in the festivities. And unlike the host of Olympic styled models making their way to retail in 2012, this Nike 97 Silver Bullet Nike Air Max 95 was a bit more worldly in its aim, opting for the five rings color scheme rather than something borrowed from Old Glory. Of course there was a bit of distinctly USA flavor, with the Air Max tongue badge boasting a simplified American flag design in the background.
Looking back, 1998 deserves much more respect than it gets, so let's take a look at the highest priced and possibly hardest-to-find model of that year.The Nike Air Max '98 picked up on the full-length Max Air technology that debuted with the Air Max '97 , using a synthetic leather and mesh upper for weight reduction. The external lace overlay system (the two lace loops at the forefoot) provided optimal fit, while the Max Air cushion we alluded to before utilized the BRS 1000 Nike Regrind outsole. A swift look at original colorways: the most recognized of the bunch is likely the Royal/Red colorway (above) that is commonly referred to as the Gundam' for its resemblance to the protagonist of the Gundam series.
A slew of others followed that year, like the popular Atlantic Blue' and Navy/Yellow, and again in 2000 in two Cool Grey-based releases and even a sick JD Sports Exclusive. We've got a quick overview of the Air Max '98 releases below Nike 97 Black which of the bunch can you call your own?Moving forward with this week's Classic Revisited is one of the many "cult" Air Max hits that have spilled out in the 1990's the Nike Air Max Deluxe. Unlike yesterday's featurette of the Air Max2, which focused on the introduction of the advanced multi-chambered Air unit, the Air Max Deluxe was more of a marvel of design; it utilized the same full-length Air Max unit that was developed for the Air Max 97, but the upper of the Deluxe
was one of the most visually stunning of the decade.