Air Max 1

Designed by Tinker Hatfield and released in 1987, the Air Max 1 was the first Nike shoe built around a visible Air window — a design Hatfield has said was inspired by the exposed structural framework of the Centre Pompidou. The OG White/University Red colorway is the one every later Air Max release gets measured against, cushioning turned into a design statement instead of something hidden inside a midsole.

Founded in 1964 as Blue Ribbon Sports by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight, Nike grew from a car-trunk sneaker importer into the largest athletic brand on the planet. Its innovation lab has spent five decades chasing marginal gains, from the waffle outsole to full-length Air units to today's foam midsoles. Nike's catalog spans running, basketball, and lifestyle silhouettes worn as much on the street as on the track.