Travis Scott may have captured attention in the short-term, but the. real development at the past ComplexCon was the official unveiling of the Nike Air Max 1000. To be sure, Air Max’s totemic status within the halls at Beaverton catapults any update in its history to become a high-level headline. Yet you didn’t need encyclopedic sneaker knowledge to decode this silhouette’s appeal; an entirely 3D-printed reimagining of the Air Max 1 is eminently noteworthy on its own merits.
Though some attendees took home pairs in all-red, official images of the Nike Air Max 1000 “Oatmeal” signal the model’s wide debut being very much in the works. Developed with 3D-printed footwear imprint Zellerfeld, already a Swoosh partner via former sub-label RTFKT, designers utilize the futuristic technology for an equally forward-facing spin off the original Air Max, tracing the wavy contours of the shoe throughout a genuine one-piece construction. As if to visually signal the manufacturing process, a pocked layout defines the lower half of the shoe, echoing the skeletal step seen while using filament-based printers.
Harkening back to the hallowed history of the line, an embossed “AIR” logo defines the heel, closely resembling a similar brand utilized on the Dn (the last major “next chapter” in Nike Air). Finally, though the “Oatmeal” tonality utilized here echoes the monochromatic fare showcased last winter, an inset Air bubble in the heel delivers a flash of vibrant orange.
