343076 Classics Nike Air Thea Revisited: Nike Air Max '96 (1996) /2012/07/30/classics-revisited-nike-air-max-96-1996/ /2012/07/30/classics-revisited-nike-air-max-96-1996/#comments Tue, 31 Jul 2012 00:00:47 0000 /?p=342816 NIKE AIR MAX CLASSICS WEEK Nike Air Max reinvented the Running Sneaker with the unprecedented visible Air bag with the Air Max 1, but what followed was a string of groundbreaking designs penned by the world's greatest footwear architects in history. Nike has displayed a strong effort in giving these classic models an honorable tribute, .
We've revisited those models plenty of times and even today, Nike Sportswear continues to depend on those heritage models to keep the spirit alive, but how about the other annual models that haven't seen much sun? This week, Sneaker News will focus on five different Air Max models that are equally as magnificent as the headlining bunch, but not nearly as recognized. We'll kick things off with the Air Total Max from 1996, or better recognized as the Air Max 96.
A year prior Nike Thea Black to the Air Max 96, Nike design lead Sergio Lozano shattered the norm with the Air Max 95 and its outrageous design highlighted by the multi-compartment Max Air bag with varying PSi grades. Lozano followed that up with the equally enticing Air Max 96, inheriting the same Max Air bag concept with Nike Thea White slightly altered tooling with a redesigned upper that mimicked the flowing waves of the ocean. Four original colorways were released (two for men, two for women, all detailed below) and the shoes were produced in South Korea and in Vietnam. The most recognized colorway is the Black/Dark Concord, which originally featured a Scream Green Max Air bubble in its Sample stage and later released with a black unit.
Quick disclaimer: While Cool Grey' isn't an official part of this colorway, everyone and their maternal guardians called these Penny IVs as such. Moving on the Air Penny IV Cool Grey' released Nike Thea Womens in 2001 as one of the earliest Retro' releases of the Nike Air Penny as a whole. It quickly adopted the Cool Grey' moniker for having the patent leather mudguard and strap, mimicking the Air Jordan XI Cool Grey' that debuted that year as well, and the crossover effect of one banging colorway to another shoe made the Penny IV Cool Grey' a highly coveted item among Penny enthusiasts.
While the Air Penny III didn't see a whole bunch of colorways in its original run, Nike did flirt with this white colorway that actually never went beyond the Sample' stage. Nike never brought it bought in the following Retro' and House of Hoops' releases, making this unreleased White Sample one of the most obscure and rare Air Penny productions ever.357846 Classics Revisited: Nike Air Penny IV "Orlando" (1998) /2012/10/02/classics-revisited-nike-air-penny-iv-orlando-1998/ /2012/10/02/classics-revisited-nike-air-penny-iv-orlando-1998/#comments Wed, 03 Oct 2012 00:00:32 0000 /?p=357824 NIKE AIR PENNY WEEK We continue our week of Air Penny classics by pointing to the most obscure of the Air Penny signature line the Nike Air Penny IV.
It was understandable for Nike to seal the deal on the Air Penny and move on to bigger things with Gary Payton as well as Vince Nike Air Max Thea White Carter and Shox Basketball, but the Air Penny line wasn't completely dead; the Air Max Penny and Air Penny IV did in fact re-issue in the first half of the 2000s, and a much-celebrated return of the Air Foamposite One in 2007 proved to be the perfect resurrection of Penny into the most formidable Nike athlete he once was. Going back to the Penny IV this original Orlando' colorway was never re-issued and stands as one of the most coveted of the Air Penny IV OGs, although
a Retro release in 2013 could produce these once more.