Behind The Design: Nike’s Air Bubble Sole, Now A Staple In Almost Every Closet
Behind The Design is a segment by DesignTAXI where we wind back to the pioneering products and icons that steered the design world forward and transformed consumer perceptions forever.
Air Max 90. Image via Nike
What: Nike Air
Who designed it: Marion Franklin Rudy & Phil Knight
When: 1978
Former aerospace engineer Marion Franklin Rudy had the idea to place tiny airbags in the soles of shoes to soften their impact. He shared the idea with Phil Knight in 1977, and after a prototype was created, the first shoe that incorporated Air cushioning was the 1978 Nike Tailwind runner.
The hype of the air-induced kicks grew into the 80s, as researchers at the University of Tennessee discovered that athletes had used less energy when running in the Nike Tailwind compared to other conventional running shoes.
The Nike Air Max 1 was the first sneaker to offer a window to the sole. Designed by Tinker Hatfield, the sole was inspired by the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris to make the Air technology visible.
“The mid-80s was a period of transition from a more formalized hierarchy to a looser, street-based, more inspirational form,” Hatfield said. “We at Nike were part of that wave, and I just happened to be a designer doing it from a footwear perspective when nobody else was. There was a bigger appetite for trying something new and different, and that was squarely connected to the creative sparks all around us.”
In the 90s, the company introduced various iterations of Nike Air, like the forefoot Air, full-length Air, and Tuned Air, evident on iconic silhouettes like the Nike Air Max 90, Air Max 95, Air Max 97, Air Max Plus.
This was the era when hip-hop was expanding and streetwear was born, with new iterations of music and sportswear trending across Europe. The style and colors of the Air Max silhouettes contributed to the evolving aesthetics of the 90s.
Today, the company’s success and creative ethos are expanded to all facets of its design organization, and will certainly inspire new shapes and iterations for the future.
Air Max Big Window. Image via Nike
Air Max 95. Image via Nike
Air Max Plus. Image via Nike
[via Nike, cover image via Nike]
Air Max 90. Image via Nike
What: Nike Air
Who designed it: Marion Franklin Rudy & Phil Knight
When: 1978
Former aerospace engineer Marion Franklin Rudy had the idea to place tiny airbags in the soles of shoes to soften their impact. He shared the idea with Phil Knight in 1977, and after a prototype was created, the first shoe that incorporated Air cushioning was the 1978 Nike Tailwind runner.
The hype of the air-induced kicks grew into the 80s, as researchers at the University of Tennessee discovered that athletes had used less energy when running in the Nike Tailwind compared to other conventional running shoes.
The Nike Air Max 1 was the first sneaker to offer a window to the sole. Designed by Tinker Hatfield, the sole was inspired by the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris to make the Air technology visible.
“The mid-80s was a period of transition from a more formalized hierarchy to a looser, street-based, more inspirational form,” Hatfield said. “We at Nike were part of that wave, and I just happened to be a designer doing it from a footwear perspective when nobody else was. There was a bigger appetite for trying something new and different, and that was squarely connected to the creative sparks all around us.”
In the 90s, the company introduced various iterations of Nike Air, like the forefoot Air, full-length Air, and Tuned Air, evident on iconic silhouettes like the Nike Air Max 90, Air Max 95, Air Max 97, Air Max Plus.
This was the era when hip-hop was expanding and streetwear was born, with new iterations of music and sportswear trending across Europe. The style and colors of the Air Max silhouettes contributed to the evolving aesthetics of the 90s.
Today, the company’s success and creative ethos are expanded to all facets of its design organization, and will certainly inspire new shapes and iterations for the future.
Air Max Big Window. Image via Nike
Air Max 95. Image via Nike
Air Max Plus. Image via Nike
[via Nike, cover image via Nike]
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