Anywhere you go these days, you’re bound to see someone walking on Nike’s Air cushioning. Air Max has become synonymous with Nike’s brand. But this wasn’t always the case — in fact, the original reveal of the iconic bubble in 1987 almost never happened. Air cushioning had been used by Nike long before the Air Max 1 ever came to be. It was originally invented for the Air Tailwind nearly a decade earlier in 1978. The technology was always hidden from the eye by the outsole, for fear that people would think it could be easily punctured, despite its proven durability. This worked for a while, but the sneaker game was evolving. Classic Nike sneakers like the Cortez and the Air Tailwind didn’t have the steam to keep carrying the company. Nike needed something new, something revolutionary. Then came Tinker Hatfield.

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