This Air Max Day (March 26th), we saw a piece of sneaker history return - the “Big Bubble” version of the Nike Air Max 1. When Tinker originally designed the Air Max 1, the Air unit in the heel was more prominent than what we are used to today, though the design team at Nike had to slim down the visible unit due to quality control issues. Around 400,000 pairs of the original design hit the market in 1987, and since then, it has not been available. Aside from the OG “Sport Red” colorway and a slew of golf-ready versions, Nike has crafted another colorway on the Air Max 1 ‘86 OG that comes in “Grain Earth.”
Taking on the same material makeup as the original Air Max 1, the sneaker combines mesh and suede across its design. A stark white shade lands on the mesh panels on the toebox and collar while we see smokey mauve dress the mudguard and Swoosh branding on the midfoot. We see a tan hue for the vamp and overlays on the midfoot and heel that match the lace set. Like old-school pairs from the 80s, the sockliner features the size of the pair stamped on the medial side. Rounding out the design is the white Air Max 1 sole unit with the larger exposed Air bubble in the heel paired with a smokey mauve rubber outsole. Packaging will also come in a retro, worn-down cardboard box similar to the aforementioned Air Max 1 ‘86 OG “Sport Red.”
The Nike Air Max 1 ‘86 OG Grain Earth will be released on April 22nd, 2023 through Nike and select NSW retailers online and in-store. Coming in men’s sizing, the retail price is set at $160. Keep it locked to our Twitter and the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on the latest releases, raffles, news, and more in the sneaker and streetwear world.
Nike Air Max 1 ‘86 OG Big Bubble “Grain Earth”
Images via Nike
Image via horhead_sales
