To celebrate 35 years of a sneaker icon, we give the Air Max 1 a radical twist.
When the Nike Air Max 1 arrived in 1987, it signaled a revolution in footwear design. Air, its namesake, was fully-unleashed — made visible through a window — and with this shifted aesthetic and technical boundaries. 35 years later, Concepts brings its own radical twist to the classic silhouette. If the original firmly shouted a futurist vision, our take on Air Max 1 positions the shoe within a radical lineage of youthful expression.
“Nike has been a tremendous partner to Concepts. Together, our collaborative track record speaks for itself,” says Deon Point, Concepts Creative Director. “When we decided to work on the Air Max 1, a personal favorite, we wanted to fully honor the irreverent spirit of Nike from its origins in the ‘60s up to today.”
This idea is paid off through the Concepts x Nike Air Max 1 SP “Mellow.” The design digs into the culture, music and style of the late ‘60s, specifically the music festival scene of the era, in all its vibrancy. Often held over long weekends, these festivals ticketed by the day. And, while there was a shared belief in the peaceful power of the gatherings, each had its own unique essence.
The music was eclectic, the style electric, and mood buoyed by crowds spreading love.
Among the festival goers were seen protest symbols, peace signs, floral adornments and frayed edges. Denim mixed with the now familiar olive of military surplus M-65s, and juxtaposed with the softness of wide wale corduroy and velvet. These elements give the Nike x Concepts Air Max 1 SP “Mellow” its character.
The shoe’s motifs draw from the 1969 summer music series that took place in Harlem with an olive green mudguard, in homage to the M-65. The “Friday” colorway includes patterned elements of bandanna, cowhide, and woven material panels. The former, a Concepts-exclusive, approximates the famous guitar straps of the era. Further details include a lateral striped Swoosh and a medial “flower power” Swoosh. The tongue label revives a classic ‘70s Nike logo and twists it with a Concepts “hippie” word mark. The design is completed by a custom footbed.
The release is complemented by new drops of in-house apparel line. “For this project, we’ve spun our contemporary fits with graphics that tie to the intersection of surplus fatigues, flowery accessories, and aged denim that defined the zeitgeist of youth fashion in the late ‘60s,” says Point. “
The collection includes the widest selection of Concepts’ signature T-shirts to date. Additionally, we’ve got two hoodies, a crewneck, sweatpants, socks, graphic T-shirts and are introducing a Baja hoodie, which revives a classic ‘70s counterculture garment that has remained tied to youthful nonconformity for 50 years.
The Concepts x Nike Air Max SP “Mellow” and associated apparel launch at Concepts retail locations and online on March 5, 2022. Footwear will be drawing pick-up only for retail locations and web release will be first come, first serve. Stay tuned for release details exclusively from our Instagram.
