Behind The Design: Nike's Air Max 97

After revealing a bevy of new Air Max 97 Ultra colourways, Nike’s ‘Behind the Design’ series is looking back at how the OG shoe came to be. Speaking with AM97 designer Christian Tresser, they dove into some of the shoe’s inspiration – a contested point among Air heads. The bullet train aspect is well known, but is in fact makes up only part the story. Tresser reveals that the layered aesthetic comes from nature – ripples in a pond, to be specific.

The 97’s famous metallic silver draws from mountain bikes, which often wore finished aluminium at the time Tresser was tinkering with the design. There are bunch more tidbits essential for any Air Max fan. Head over to Nike SNKRS for the full run-down.