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Sneaker of the month July: Nike Air Max Zero Essential

10.7.2017

Translation: machine translated

Nike Air Max Zero: the sneaker of the zero hour. If the Air Max Zero hadn't existed, the legendary Air Max One would never have been created. Almost three decades after its creation, the sneaker still stands for innovative spirit, tradition and sneaker cult. Find out exactly why here.

The Nike Air Max Zero is the original sketch of the Air Max series from Nike. The shoe laid the foundation for the One. Tinker Hatfield, creative mind, mastermind and chief designer at Nike, designed the Air Max Zero 29 years ago.

Hatfield drew inspiration for the visible Air elements of the Nike Air Max from the inside-out design of the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Contrary to what is often assumed, the Air Max One was not created in one go, but from many different designs, one of the concepts being the Air Max Zero. As the Air Max Zero design was too revolutionary and futuristic for the time, Hatfield decided to launch the toned-down and more wearable version, the Air Max One. The sneaker then revolutionised the running shoe industry. Over time, it was no longer seen exclusively on sports fields, but also on the feet of sneaker fans.

With all the enthusiasm for the Air Max One, the original design of the Zero was forgotten. The sneaker was rediscovered more by chance by the Nike Sportswear design team in their search for new inspiration for the annual Air Max Day. In the end, the latest innovations from Nike were added to Hatfield's drawing: