Sometimes, an iconic pair of shoes winds up in a museum — like Dorothy’s sparkling red heels from The Wizard of Oz on display at The Smithsonian. And sometimes, a museum inspires an iconic pair of shoes.
In the 1980s, Nike shoe designer Tinker Hatfield was tasked with finding a way to display the brand’s ground-breaking Air technology from the outside of the sneaker.
As the lore goes:
“Nike sent Tinker to Paris for design inspiration. Paris is a city known for luxurious, gold buildings, but it would be a different type of building that got Tinker’s attention: the Centre Pompidou [museum]. The Centre Pompidou is unique because it’s designed like it’s inside-out. You can see everything from the outside: the heating, the ventilation, the escalators, even the pipes are on the outside and painted in bright colors.”
The trip worked. Tinker went back to Nike HQ and came up with a way to cut away some of the midsole to expose the airbag, and in 1987, the Air Max 1 was born. The cushioning system has been on display ever since in the instantly classic sneaker.
Team SG curated a week’s worth of looks featuring the stylish shoe.
Keep scrolling for Nike Air Max 1 outfits for men
Look 1: Sweater vest with chinos
get the look
- sneakers: Nike
- belt: Todd Snyder
- sweater vest: Rag & Bone
- t-shirt: Fair Harbor
- pants: Club Monaco
- signet ring: Scosha
SG Says: Army green works as both a neutral and a pop of color in this wear-everywhere outfit.
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Look 2: Surplus pants with a chore coat
get the look
- sneakers: Nike
- chore coat: Bonobos
- t-shirt: Comme Des Garçons Play
- pants: Madewell
- necklace: Cartography
SG Says: A touch of lavender in the sneakers and the t-shirt keep this casual outfit coordinated (but not matchy-matchy).
Look 3: sophisticated sweatsuit
get the look
- sneakers: Nike
- hoodie: MATE The Label
- striped shirt: Maison Kitsuné
- sweatpants: MATE The Label
- corduroy baseball cap: Target (on clearance!)
- socks: Nike
SG Says: No shame in the sweatsuit game when it looks as good as this!
Look 4: Vintage jeans with a polo
get the look
- sneakers: Nike
- overshirt: Wax London
- jeans: Alex Mill
- polo shirt: Polo Ralph Lauren
SG Says: Swap the faded jeans for twill pants or chinos to instantly dress this look up.
Look 5: Shorts!
get the look
- sneakers: Nike
- shorts: Abercrombie
- bracelet: Mejuri
- watch: Timex x Todd Snyder
- undershirts: Calvin Klein (3-pack)
- shirt: Corridor
- sunglasses: Le Specs
SG Says: Sunny sky’s out, thighs out.
Shop Nike Air Max 1 sneakers
