Nike recently treated sneaker fans to the Air Raid Jungle Gym from 1993 (which we covered here at Sneakerjawns), and now we're getting the 2014 remake. The Air Raid brand has been building some steam this year with the Air Raid Low, Air Raid Jungle Gym, and Air Raid OG, and notably the Nike Air Max 1 featuring in the Live Together Play Together Pack with a Jungle Gym colorway. On top of that, the 90s silhouette is getting releases at the beginning of the year with the Air Raid 2014 remake and the Air Raid Ray Guns. The old silhouette is getting some attention from their makers, that is Nike, to give more variations to the classic style. The Nike Air Raid has much lore to it, designed by Tinker Hatfield as an outdoor counterpart to the Air Jordans, featured in commercials with Spike Lee, hence the Live Together Play Together ethos. The 2014 Black and White Air Raid is not as colorful as the jungle gym, but style doesn't always come with flare. Let's ...
The Vapormax styles with the “History of Air” palette while keeping the features that make it unique. We remember the Air Max 360 for its revolutionary air unit placements, even featured on the outsoles. It was historic. The VaporMax has that. The combination of the two has differences, of course, with the Swoosh having an iridescent quality. It has a foam midsole, and beneath it is Vapormax air units, more translucent and less opaque, less milky than the original. And nice touch with ”Vapor Max 360” on the tongue.
This treatment is fitting for a shoe that has led the way for the Vapormax series. It's hard to believe that Nike’s visible air unit technology started in 1987, and so has been around for 33 years. It took Nike until 2006 to further this technology with the Air Max 360. It lacked foam, midsole but had maxed out pressurized air outsoles.
Nike has made a name for itself through innovation and being a step ahead of the competition. Though brands like Yeezy with Adidas, Kanye West has been catching up, even to the mega Jordan line. Its market share is still a healthy and dominant 27.4%. We can always expect some game-changer, or when competitors up the game, they up to it more.
The Vapormax has been it's hit in the athletic department, but that would not have happened without the Air Max 360 inspiration with the Vapormax series borrowing its completely visible air unit outsoles. It's an iconic feature in the sneaker world, one synonymous with Nike and beloved within the athletic community. The Vapormax series continues to be a mainstay in running shoe department stores.
Real testing and science have yet to prove that Nike’s air unit is superior to foam in terms of comfort and performance, but air units sure look cooler to run with. It’s all in the aesthetic and perception of running on air bubbles that make this line so appealing.
Nike began its air unit technology in 1979 before making the leap to visibility. And in 2020, the Air Vapormax 360 shows that the company is continuing to innovate while remembering its roots and continuously improves its technology. The Air Vapormax 360 ”History of Air” will be released on Nike’s website and select retailers at $225 US dollars on January 30th.
