Released in 1987 as simply the Air Max, the Air Max 1 was the first shoe ever to employ Max Air technology. Even used shoes were in demand, and fakes also became a problem. The extremely inflated prices of the shoes led to a rash of muggings in the normally-peaceful country wherein Air Max wearers were attacked and their shoes were stolen. In the mid-1990s the line, particularly the Air Max 95, experienced such a surge of popularity in Japan that it led to a phenomenon known as "Air Max hunting". In some areas of LGBT sub-culture in Europe, certain Air Max models are coveted among foot, sneaker and sportswear fetishists. The line of sneakers is popular amongst many subcultures, for example hip hop and gabber. The size, design, and number of air units varies within the product line the "retro" Air Max 1 simply includes one small unit under the heel, while in the contemporary Air VaporMax, effectively the entire midsole is composed of air units with no conventional foam present. The effectiveness of the technology for this purpose is disputed nevertheless, the shoes enjoy consistent popularity, especially among sneaker enthusiasts and collectors. Referred to as "Air units" or "airbags," their stated purpose is to provide superior cushioning to traditional foam while also reducing weight. As the name indicates, all Air Max shoes feature one or more translucent pouches of pressurized gas embedded in the midsole and visible from the outside of the shoe. In 1979, he patented a design using polyurethane sacs filled with pressurized inert gas, and Nike has been using some version of this design ever since.
Frank Rudy, an aeronautical engineer, first brought the idea of an air-cushioned sole to Nike in 1977.
Air Max IV/BW in its original "Persian Violet" colorway
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