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We’re only a few days removed from every sneakerhead’s favorite holiday, with the observance of Air Max Day taking place on March 26. As expected, the brand has planned a series of Air Max releases for fans to wear after the event and on the day itself.
The sportswear giant first celebrated its brand-created holiday in 2014 with the release of the original Air Max 1 in the iconic “University Red” colorway, albeit with a new “Volt” twist and details. Since then, Nike has prepared special releases and events centered around Air Max Day, with arguably one of the most notable events being the “Vote Forward” Campaign in 2017. For the event, the brand tapped a dozen creatives dubbed “RevolutionAirs” to reimagine classic Air Max silhouettes, and spawning from the event was the coveted Sean Wotherspoon x Nike Air Max 1/97 collab. In 2019, the brand also took a different approach to its Air Max Day celebrations with the “Give Fresh Air” campaign, which urged fans to donate new and gently worn sneakers, which went to the less fortunate in local communities.
The Sean Wotherspoon x Air Max 1/97 sneakers. CREDIT: GOAT
For 2023, Nike has prepared a handful of Air Max releases that sneaker fans can look forward to. One of the more anticipated drops for the holiday this year is the Air Max 1 ’86 Big Bubble in the original “University Red” colorway. The sneaker was unveiled via SNKRS Live during Air Max Day last year, and the brand revealed this will be the first time the “Big Bubble” version of the model will be available at retail. The “Big Bubble” version features four holes in the Air Max bubble in the midsole instead of the three that fans are accustomed to, and was part of designer Tinker Hatfield’s original plans for the shoe in 1986. Another Air Max 1 release that the Swoosh has confirmed to launch this month is the Air Max 1 “Shima Shima,” a reissue of the popular theme of releases from 2003.
The lateral side of the Nike Air Max 1 “Shima Shima.” CREDIT: Courtesy of Nike
At the time of publication, Nike has yet to announced the release details for this year’s Air Max Day.
