#AIRMAX BY MATT STEVENS

For more than 25 years the Air Max family has remained a flawless fusion of sport and visible technology. With roots firmly planted in the soil of sport innovation, Air Max grew to become a cultural phenomenon, making its presence felt in music, art, and most importantly, on the feet of those seeking comfort and a vehicle for self-expression.

Last year, illustrator and designer Matt Stevens created the collectible book MAX100, a compendium of 100 visual interpretations of the Nike Air Max 1 — or, as he calls it, “the greatest sneaker of all time.” The book's visuals range from computer-generated images to photographs of physical objects.

Coinciding with the release of the Nike Air Max Engineered Mesh series, Nike further celebrates the reinvention of Air Max by commissioning Stevens to expand on his tribute to the famed sneakers in a project aptly titled #AIRMAX. Creating additional images of the Air Max 1, Air Max 90, Air Max 95, and Air Max 97, Stevens sheds new light on the heritage of these sport classics. Along with Stevens’s personal reinterpretations, some images will align under the themes of design inspiration, color, cultural significance and reinvention.

HOW THE AIR PACK SAVED NIKE | AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY

I always say that shoes are my favorite way of curating history. From a certain decade's identity, to the technological wonders of an era, down to the bare sentimentality of a moment - for me, shoes are the best medium to immortalize time.

In our first infotainment exercise, Locker Room Legends will narrate the story of Nike's fabled "Air Pack", and how it saved the company from impending bankruptcy. I could have done this the old-fashioned way - a long-ass post filled with text and no photos... But I'm sure you wouldn't read that. Heck I wouldn't read that myself. So I made a nice infographic/timeline based on Brett Golliff's interview with Tinker Hatfield.

Check HOW THE AIR PACK SAVED NIKE after the jump. Scroll down and give it time to load.
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THE NIKE FLYKNIT LUNAR ONE EXPERIENCE

Last night, I was invited by Nike Philippines to experience the new NIKE FLYKNIT LUNAR 1. Along with veteran runners and athletic bloggers, we were the first ones to actually enjoy all the benefits that the new Flyknit model has to offer.

At around 7:30 PM, we gathered at Nike Bonifacio High Street flagship store to get familiar with the shoe. There was a quick huddle before the test run, lead by our friends from Nike Philippines, who gave us a closer and more intimate look at the shoe and its design. They also briefed us on how the technology came about and the new upgrades from the previous Flyknit silos.

The crew then went outside for the actual test run. I'm probably the noob of the group since I only started running this year, but I was able to keep up (thank goodness!) We took a couple of laps around High Street and both Parkades, roughly a little over a kilometer and a half.

I posted live updates via the LOCKERROOMLEGENDS Instagram during the run, but just in case you missed it, here's a more in-depth report of our Nike Flyknit Lunar 1 experience.

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INTRODUCING: THE NIKE AIR MAX+ 2013

I was four when I saw my very first Air Max. My very young mind can not comprehend how that shoe worked or felt on feet. It was so strange to see a hole in its sole.

A couple of years after, I held a pair of Air Max 90s for the first time. Turns out it was not really a hole, but a bubble stuck in the foam sole! The six year old me put two and two together and thought that if I had those on, I can bounce endlessly... Higher and faster.

That little bubble in the sole changed everything, not just for me but for the entire shoe industry. From the moment it was conceived until today, the Air Max has stood as a symbol of stability, technology, and innovation. Simply put, the Nike Air Max was and still is that magical technology that made every other shoe boring.

Next in line in this proud lineage is the Nike Air Max+ 2013. Same technology, same magic... But a whole lot more flexible.

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