Nike Air Max 1 sizing & fit

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Nike Air Max 1 sizing & fit

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Released in 1987 as simply the Air Max at that time, the Air Max 1 was the first shoe in the Nike Air Max line.

The Air technology featured in the Air Max 1 was brought to Nike by former NASA engineer Frank Rudy. Mr. Frank Rudy figured out how to pump up inert gas into urethane pouches that could be slotted into sneaker soles. The Air technology was first introduced in Nike’s Air Tailwind in 1978 replacing traditional EVA molded soles, and until the Air Max 1 it was the consensus that the air bubbles should be hidden in the sole.

One can’t tell the story of the Air Max 1 without first introducing its designer, Tinker Hatfield. He was hired in 1981 and worked as a corporate architect to build Nike’s spaces until a few years after when Hatfield joined Nike’s design team. Who would have thought at that time that Hatfield would be the one to start one of the most successful sneaker lines in Nike’s portfolio?

So Nike’s Air program existed long before the Air Max 1, but it was Tinker Hatfield who came up with the idea to cut that tiny window in the sole to expose the cushioning technology for the world to see.

What influenced Hatfield to create this daring design (as well as the first colorway of the Air Max 1) was the Pompidou Centre in Paris, which he saw during his trip to France. The building design took all of its structural elements and placed them on the outside of the building for people to see. Everything from the electrics to plumbing and staircases was placed on the outside. Just as the Pompidou architects revealed the magical inner workings of the building, Hatfield decided to do the same with Nike’s next sneaker by cutting a tiny window in the sole and making the Air Max cushioning system visible.

When the designer got back from France and presented his idea, everyone at Nike hated it. However, Hatfield found an ally in the Director of Cushioning Innovation, David Forland, and the Air Max 1 was born soon after.

Cutting that Air window in the sole was a gamble for Nike, but it certainly paid off and the line went on to boast other notable silhouettes like the Air Max 90, Air Max 180, Air Max 93, Air Max 95, Air Max 97, Air Max 2003, Air Max 360 and Air Max 2015. All of those shoes featured the encapsulated Air sole units.

Nike Air Max 1 sizing compared to 1384 other shoes

Nike Air Max 1 = Air Jordan 1

Air Max 1 fits exactly like Air Jordan 1 (according to 63 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = Nike Air Force 1 + 0.5

Air Max 1 runs half a size smaller than Nike Air Force 1 (according to 56 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = Nike Air Max 90

Air Max 1 fits exactly like Nike Air Max 90 (according to 54 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = Air Jordan 3

Air Max 1 fits exactly like Air Jordan 3 (according to 37 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = Air Jordan 4

Air Max 1 fits exactly like Air Jordan 4 (according to 36 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = Vans Authentic

Air Max 1 fits exactly like Vans Authentic (according to 36 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = Nike SB Dunk Low

Air Max 1 fits exactly like Nike SB Dunk Low (according to 27 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = adidas Ultraboost 1.0

Air Max 1 fits exactly like adidas Ultraboost 1.0 (according to 23 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = Air Jordan 11

Air Max 1 fits exactly like Air Jordan 11 (according to 21 users)

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Nike Air Max 1 = Nike Air Max 97

Air Max 1 fits exactly like Nike Air Max 97 (according to 20 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = Air Jordan 5

Air Max 1 fits exactly like Air Jordan 5 (according to 19 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = Nike Air Max 95

Air Max 1 fits exactly like Nike Air Max 95 (according to 19 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = Nike Blazer Mid 77

Air Max 1 fits exactly like Nike Blazer Mid 77 (according to 18 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = adidas NMD R1

Air Max 1 fits exactly like adidas NMD R1 (according to 17 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = adidas Ultraboost 4.0

Air Max 1 fits exactly like adidas Ultraboost 4.0 (according to 16 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = adidas YEEZY 500

Air Max 1 fits exactly like adidas YEEZY 500 (according to 14 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = adidas Ultraboost 3.0

Air Max 1 fits exactly like adidas Ultraboost 3.0 (according to 13 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = Nike Air Huarache – 0.5

Air Max 1 runs half a size larger than Nike Air Huarache (according to 12 users)

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Nike Air Max 1 = adidas Ultraboost 2.0

Air Max 1 fits exactly like adidas Ultraboost 2.0 (according to 12 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = adidas Superstar

Air Max 1 fits exactly like adidas Superstar (according to 11 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = Nike SB Dunk High

Air Max 1 fits exactly like Nike SB Dunk High (according to 11 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = Air Jordan 6 + 0.5

Air Max 1 runs half a size smaller than Air Jordan 6 (according to 11 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = Nike SB Janoski

Air Max 1 fits exactly like Nike SB Janoski (according to 11 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = adidas YEEZY Boost 380

Air Max 1 fits exactly like adidas YEEZY Boost 380 (according to 10 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = Nike Air Max 270

Air Max 1 fits exactly like Nike Air Max 270 (according to 10 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = adidas Gazelle

Air Max 1 fits exactly like adidas Gazelle (according to 10 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = Air Jordan 13 + 0.5

Air Max 1 runs half a size smaller than Air Jordan 13 (according to 9 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = Air Jordan 12 + 0.5

Air Max 1 runs half a size smaller than Air Jordan 12 (according to 9 users)

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Nike Air Max 1 = Nike Air Max 720

Air Max 1 fits exactly like Nike Air Max 720 (according to 9 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = Nike Free Run+ 3

Air Max 1 fits exactly like Nike Free Run+ 3 (according to 9 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = Clarks Desert Boot + 1.0

Air Max 1 runs one size smaller than Clarks Desert Boot (according to 9 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = Nike Dunk High

Air Max 1 fits exactly like Nike Dunk High (according to 9 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = Nike Dunk Low

Air Max 1 fits exactly like Nike Dunk Low (according to 9 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = adidas Stan Smith + 0.5

Air Max 1 runs half a size smaller than adidas Stan Smith (according to 8 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = adidas YEEZY Boost 700

Air Max 1 fits exactly like adidas YEEZY Boost 700 (according to 8 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = Air Jordan 1 Low

Air Max 1 fits exactly like Air Jordan 1 Low (according to 8 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = adidas YEEZY Quantum

Air Max 1 fits exactly like adidas YEEZY Quantum (according to 7 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = Air Jordan 7

Air Max 1 fits exactly like Air Jordan 7 (according to 7 users)

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Nike Air Max 1 = Air Jordan 14

Air Max 1 fits exactly like Air Jordan 14 (according to 7 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = adidas YEEZY 700 V3 – 0.5

Air Max 1 runs half a size larger than adidas YEEZY 700 V3 (according to 7 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = Air Jordan 10

Air Max 1 fits exactly like Air Jordan 10 (according to 6 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = Nike Air Max 98

Air Max 1 fits exactly like Nike Air Max 98 (according to 5 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = Air Jordan 1 Mid

Air Max 1 fits exactly like Air Jordan 1 Mid (according to 5 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = Air Jordan 8

Air Max 1 fits exactly like Air Jordan 8 (according to 5 users)

Nike Air Max 1 = adidas NMD R1 Primeknit + 0.5

Air Max 1 runs half a size smaller than adidas NMD R1 Primeknit (according to 5 users)

Do Nike Air Max 1 run true to size?

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