Via NK
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
My first thought straight out of the box was, “the air bag is beautiful!” It’s bold, bright and obnoxious. The Air Max 270 is as sleek in-hand as described by designer Dylan Raasch. It feels really light, too.
The all-black upper will keep the minimalist like myself happy, but it doesn’t do the engineered zoned mesh justice. You’ll actually have to wait until March, Air Max Day, to see how Nike finesses the multi-layered upper and brings it to life with a slew of colorways. Hint hint, the “Ultra Marine” AM180 inspired colorway is my favorite one of the bunch. I don’t know if I was supposed to tell you that, but I wanted to share my excitement, ha!
I absolutely love the new white box with black accents. That’s a small detail to obsess over, but I feel it looks better than the VaporMax packaging that features holographic branding.
My favorite angle of the shoe is obviously the heel. It wears a newly designed “air” logo and the heelcup matching the air bag is simply art. If I could have a rainbow of Air Max 270s sitting atop my office shelf, I would be super happy. I could stare at that airbag all day. It makes me want to visit Georges Pompidou Centre in Paris, France, that’s the building that inspired Tinker Hatfield to design a visible air bag unit for Nike.
Lastly, the Air Max 270 is priced at $150 and I’m glad it isn’t a penny over. The Air Jordan 1 at $160 is the highest I will go for Nike shoes these days.
WHAT IT FEELS LIKE ON-FOOT
These are way more comfortable fresh out the box than the Nike VaporMax, don’t @ me!
Honestly, I’ve worn adidas BOOST so much in the past two years that anything Air Max has become an after-thought. That cushioning technology has set the new standard of coziness for me, so I wasn’t expecting much with the Air Max 270 until I tried it on… I was shockingly impressed.
The 270 degree around and 32 millimeter tall air bag felt really soft, but what got me was the dual-density foam in the forefoot. That foam is not regular! The airbag springs you into the next step, while the forefoot eases you through your stride walking. These are way more comfortable fresh out the box than the Nike VaporMax, don’t @ me!
I recommend going a half size down from your normal Air Max size. The fit is similar to the “Ultra” version of your favorite Air Maxes. For instance, in the “Infrared” AM90 I’m a size 9, but the Ultra version fits a bit roomy, so 8.5 is better for me.
Is it the greatest looking shoe on the market right now? No. When I look at the AM270, “heat” is not what I think about. My mindset is, “these are some cool every day shoes.”
Overall, this is a simple sneaker you’ll want to kick it in all the time. Some sneakers are so expensive or so good looking that you barely want to wear them. The Air Max 270 sits in a sweet spot where you wouldn’t get upset by some accidental dirt because they’re pretty easy to clean, yet it’s good enough looking to put some fire fits together and break some necks because of that bold airbag.
Finally, but most importantly, this shoe does pass the denim test.