Pumped up: 26 facts about Nike Air

As we move through Air Max Month, we want to pay homage to Air Max Day 3.26 with 26 facts about Nike Air.

So, did you know…?

1. The Nike Air unit isn’t filled with oxygen ?. As of 2006, it’s mainly composed of nitrogen!

2. Tetra Plastics became a part of the Air effort in the 1970s and developed Blow molding. Blow molding is a plastic-forming process that produces hollow parts within the Air bubble with immense design 〰flexibility〰.

3. Tetra Plastics also created a visi tubing technology that was flat and essential to making Air soles taller, cleaner, and more durable.

4. Nike and Tetra Plastics’ partnership grew tighter and tighter until Nike and Tetra realized it was mutually beneficial for Nike to absorb the company. Tetra Plastics is now a subsidiary of the Swoosh.

5. This is the process of how Nike Air is made ⚙️:

(Images courtesy Nike News)

6. In 1991, Nike finally completed the Tetra Plastics purchase and moved Tetra’s HQ to Beaverton, OR and renamed it to In-House Manufacturing in 1998, and then Air Manufacturing Innovation in 2017 ?

7. Visible Air was inspired by the Centre Pompidou in Paris, a glass-walled structure through which you could see the inner workings of the building. Tinker Hatfield visited the Centre on a trip to Paris and was inspired to do the same with the Air Unit.

8. The first Visible Air unit that we’re familiar with, in 1987’s Air Max 1, was actually the second attempt at exposing the air bag. The earliest production models of the Air Max 1 had a much larger window and a taller Air unit, but cold weather negatively affected the plastics and, within a few months, designers had to scramble to redesign the Air unit to be more durable.

9. The Air Max 95 was the first shoe to incorporate Visible Air into the forefoot.

10. The Air Max 97 featured the first one-piece Air sole.

11. The Nike Air VaporMax was an eight-year endeavor to create a seamless, near-weightless sneaker! ⚖️ The Air unit of this sneaker attaches directly to the Flyknit upper using Flywire. No glue, no midsole, no sock liner. ? To this day, it’s still the lightest sneaker in the Air Max lineup.

12. The Air Max 270 is Nike’s first Air shoe built specifically for lifestyle/casual wear. ?

13. The three Air Manufacturing Innovation (Air MI) locations are St. Charles, MIssouri, Goodyear, Arizona and Beaverton, Oregon.

14. The 1987 TV campaign to launch the Air Max 1 was the first ad to use a song performed by The Beatles (“Revolution”). Apple Music sued Nike and its advertising agency, alleging the company used the song without permission, a claim Nike denied in a print ad. The lawsuit was settled in 1989.

15. Japanese retailer Atmos was the first company to collaborate on an Air Max 1 back in 2002. ?

16. Range Rover featured an Air Max 93 in a press ad to boast the vehicle’s air suspension system.  ??

17. Nike Air technology was created by Marion Frank Rudy, former NASA aerospace engineer. ??‍??

18. The Nike Air Max Plus was introduced for high-impact activities. This was the first sneaker to feature Tuned Air, an essential component for shock absorption. ?

19. The average air pressure in an Air Max Air Unit is about 25 PSI.

20. The Nike Air Max 720 is the first lifestyle Air Max sneaker to feature a full-length Air unit. ??

21. The Nike Air Max 720 has the tallest Air unit at 6mm. ?

22. The Air Max 2090 offers 200% more Air than the Air Max 90. ??

23. As of mid-2019, all of the North America Nike Air MI facilities purchase 100% renewable energy. ♻️?⚡️

24. Lighter on your feet, lighter on waste: As of 2008, All Air soles are composed of 50% recycled materials. ♻️

25. Today, the Nike Air MI facilities divert over 95% of manufacturing from landfills. That’s over 50 million pounds of materials!

26. Air Max is a millennial! It will turn 34 on 3.26.21 ? ? ?