Nike Air Max 97 - the sneaker with the futuristic silhouette

After more than 20 years, the model is still considered a streetwear icon and is currently even experiencing a real hype. Nike has always brought new Colorways and variations to the market. Besides the classic designs in silver and gold, the sneakers are also available in current trend colours and special editions.

The history of the Silver Bullet

It was an exciting year when the Nike Air Max 97 was released. It was exactly ten years ago that Nike launched the cult shoe Air Max 1. He is still considered the pioneer of all modern performance running shoes.

In 1997, the Titanic sank in the cinema, the cloned sheep Dolly was presented to the public and the comet Hale-Bopp caused excitement all over the world. To these futuristic events the design of the Nike Air Max 97 fits pretty well.

In the nineties the design was considered very bold and avant-garde, in his original design the designer Christian Tresser even dispensed with the characteristic Nike Swoosh. He believed that the expressiveness and individuality of the shoe would be enough to make this model synonymous with the Nike brand from now on. He should be right!

The Nike Air Max 97 on the pulse of time

In the final version a small swoosh was visible on the heel of the shoe. The design of this sneaker classic is still unmistakably connected with the Nike brand. No logo is needed to recognize the shoe. The undulating shaft and the visible air cushions quickly found acceptance in the pop culture of the time. The shoe became a sought-after cult object in the USA and Europe.

The Nike Air Max 97 combines two optical contradictions: on the one hand it has a chunky silhouette, on the other hand it has sleek, streamlined lines. This combination and the metallic reflective upper material ensured that the model stood out clearly on the shoe shelves. The sneaker is one of those models that already polarized in their year of release. There are still people who do not like this shoe, but it has at least as many fans.

Inspiration for Christian Tresser: raindrops and mountain bikes

According to his own statements, shoe designer Christian Tresser was not inspired by the comet Hale-Bobb or the Japanese high-speed trains Shinkansen, which were among the most sensational technical innovations of the time, when he developed the Nike Air Max 97. It was rather a natural phenomenon and the frame of a mountain bike that gave him the idea for the design.

The waves of the water, which are created when a raindrop hits a puddle, were the inspiration for the wave-shaped upper material. The idea for the silver reflective surface came to Tresser when he looked at the frame of a mountain bike. In the nineties it was common practice in the mountain bike scene to wrap reflective Scotchlite Tape 3M in silver around the frame of the bikes.

Nike actually promoted the shoe later as "inspired by Japanese high-speed trains," but in fact Tresser himself never confirmed this inspiration. But it sounded good, so you could say: "as fast as a Shinkansen".

The Air Max 97 celebrated its greatest success in Italy

The Nike Air Max 97 of course became popular all over the world, but its biggest success in the nineties was in Italy. The Italians have always had a preference for futuristic designs, and the avant-garde art movement Futurism ultimately originated in Italy. The land of fashion and motorsport immediately took the aerodynamic design of the sneaker to its heart. For at least ten years the shoe was a sales hit in the Italian retail trade. Various "made in Italy" special editions were released, such as a luxurious leather version in black.

Buy Nike Air Max 97

The Nike Air Max 97 came on sale in 1997 with a retail price of over 300 DM. This makes it one of the most expensive sports shoes on the German market to date. 300 DM was a lot for those times, the shoes were considered a luxury product that only few could afford.

It is still one of Nike's premium sneakers in the upper price segment. But nowadays there are individual models reduced also cheap. Especially online the choice is big, here you will find every now and then a cheaper model for example in the sale.

Limited special editions

Much more expensive are the limited special editions. For example, the CR7 version in gold, which Nike developed for Christian Ronaldo, is in great demand among collectors. The Nike Air Max 97 Undefeated-Collabs from 2017 is also one of the limited special editions that collectors pay four-digit sums for. This also applies to the luxury Air Max 97 with Swarovski crystals, which also appeared in 2017.

How does Nike Air Max 97 turn out?

You already have an Air Max 1 or another model from the Air Max range? Then this does not necessarily mean that you can buy the Nike Air Max 97 in the same size. Nike itself states the fit as narrow and tight, due to the unusual shape the model is about half a size smaller than other shoes from Nike.

The cult sneaker as fashion accessory

The Nike Air Max 97 is combined by women and men to create sporty and casual outfits. At Instagram and Pinterest you'll find plenty of inspiration for outfits with this classic shoe for every occasion. Especially the fashion-conscious women have discovered the shoe for themselves in recent years. The Nike Air Max 97 is worn as a fashion accessory and can be combined with streetwear outfits as well as glamorous looks for the evening.