Tinker Hatfield brought the idea of exposing Nike Air to life with the help of Nike’s Director of Cushioning Innovation, David Foreland on the Nike Air Max 1 in 1987. The technology dates back to 1978 when the Nike Tailwind was introduced. Today, Nike showcases the near-three decade history of the Air Max collection focusing on a visible air unit with a timeline of how it all happened. Like many great inventions, the invention of the visible air unit was a result of a mistake. In the mid-80s the hidden air units were actually being downsized inside of the shoe until Foreland figured out that by rotating the bags so that the seams were on the top and bottom instead of the sides, the cushioning system could be expand further. After the recent preview of the upcoming Nike Air Max 2016, we know that Nike will continue to improve the technology as time goes on. For more details on the history of the Air Max silhouette, head over to Nike.
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