THE OFFICIAL AIR MAX 1 THREAD

[hymen man]

these look sick with white laces and a white mid

 

[nastynatinikes]

Wow that's a drastic change. Looks really good.

 

[cem813kix]

Having migrated from another country in 1991, age 11, I really didn’t get Into hiphop/rap until The Chronic hit my Sony Discman. Literally learned how to cuss people out with that album. So basketball shoes were really my 1st love of sneakers. Jordan 91-98 is my nba golden age. Jordan 6s were it but my dad wouldn’t spend $120 on my sneakers back in 91-93. So I had to settle for air max 93s and tailwinds, LA techs and British Knights. In high school i wore Zoom Flight 96s and Tailwind 2s. Then later in my 20s I began to have some extra cash and Jordan 1s and AM1s became my go to. Today I have mostly Am1s, the Goat of sneakers!

Yeah, too true... can't count the amount of times I've had young fellas hitting me with "I've been in this game a long time so..." and stuff like that. Good fun.
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WARNING: Long Post Upcoming
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On a different note, when did you older guys (like me) first feel like you were experiencing an actual 'sneaker community' or 'sneaker subculture' separate from from whatever subculture you may have been into (hip hop, skate... etc.)? For me personally, I've been a hip hop head since the mid-80s, so sneakers was simply part of being fresh. Always trying to have the flyest kicks in your neighborhood (and most importantly, flyer than your friends). The love for sneakers wasn't really an isolated thing, but simply part of the overall style that went hand in hand with our culture. Seeing @45south posting above about wanting a pair from that BDP picture is exactly how I/we used to be as well. My love for Air Flights because got started because of EPMD (and the "Unfinished Business" cover). It wasn't even really because I at the time felt like those shoes were the most amazing, but because I really like EPMD, so by proxy, you know (I was fairly young, of course). Growing up in Denmark, we used to reference sneakers in terms of being "hemmelige" which directly translated means "secret". It basically implies the same meaning as "rarity", which was to have stuff no one else had or even knew how to get. I remember in the late 80s into the early 90s, everything (it seemed) was about Jordans. Don't get me wrong, I love Jordans, but they felt a bit like what everyone was rocking. During the 90-91 NBA Season (may have been in playoffs), Pippen was wearing some all red nubuck Air Flights. Just for a game or two, I think. Then during that summer, I was in Cannes, France with my girlfriend (and her family), and to my complete surprise, I saw those red Flights in some small shoe shop. I was mind-blown. I didn't have money for them, of course, but I used all the money I had (which was intended for the trip) and borrowed the rest from my girl friend, so I could have them. Wasn't able to buy as much as an ice cream cone the rest of the vacation, but I didn't care. I was invincible with those red flights. Anyway, I could go on like that forever. Back to my original question - so when was there a feeling of this "sneaker thing" being a thing? For me, it wasn't really till 10-15 years ago, maybe? I remember when the internet started getting going in the late 90s and things would start popping up. Even NT (not sure what year I first discovered it), but I would just check out stuff and not really get involved, per say. Lurking, I suppose. Anyone remember Customatix? Wow, that blew my mind... my first experience with the concept of being able to make custom sneakers. I made 2 pairs from there in their runner silhouette (I SO wish I still had them). Probably made those in 2000-2001, I'd guess. At the time I was working as an Art Director in an advertising company (I had moved to the US in 1999), so I was made aware of Customatix via a website job of a friend in that industry. Then, when some years later bigger brands started offering customized shoes (I feel like Vans was first, but I could be wrong), I was just loving it. Having gone all those years (since the mid/late 80s) trying to have the most "hemmelige" sneakers, and now you could straight up make a pair nobody else would have. Heaven. Oddly, although I was mainly into basketball shoes still, I made a couple of pairs of AM1 IDs back then (06 and 07). Perhaps because of the runners I had made from Customatix, or perhaps in part because I just never really loved AF1s (sorry to any AF1 lovers). If I remember correctly, those were the only two silhouettes available at the time in the ID program. Also, I had been into Vinyl Toys at that time and remember when the KidRobot AM1s came out. That probably created a whole new appreciation of the AM1 in my conscience. See... now I'm babbling again. Geez.
When did you guys first start experiencing the love for sneakers being an actual communal thing, isolated to some extend from whatever subculture you had been a part of?

 

[dinos]

Anyone have any experience purchasing from instagram/ebay/etc seller vnds_t?

Yep. Legit.

 

[dblplay1212]

dblplay1212 I wrote it wrong - I meant to say that they were the first pair to have that (not the only). The "OG Mesh (Royal)" from 2000 and "USA (Patriot)" from 2002, for example, have mesh upper eyelets as well. Can't think of others since, but there may be. Sorry for the mistake.

Just went and grabbed my Patriots. Yep, mesh eyelets. Never even noticed that.

 

[hippohead]

Wow that's a drastic change. Looks really good.

Wow! Its an entirely new shoe that way!! Might have to cop and customize them asap!

 

[argylelanvin]

I believe that my first pair of AM1s were the Pimentos in early 2013. I was into basketball sneakers for ages, but when I started working part-time for Nike at a running store, it introduced me to how nice running silhouettes were, and I haven't really looked back since.

Learning about the sneaker community happened maybe 4 years before that (~2009). I got into them in high school due to a friend who was one, and one day I met up with him and 2 of his friends (who would end up being future friends of mine, as well as Nike coworkers), and they mentioned various sneaker blogs and conventions and stuff. I knew of some blogs and would buy a pair here or there with summer camp money, but after that day, I really started doing my research, and now we're here.

 

[hippohead]

Thanks for posting... You just made me order a pair!!!!!!!!!! Lmao
I had no interest in them until I saw this repainted midsole!
Totally off subject but while buying the Maze have you guys noticed how much the Size? Safari prices have skyrocketed?!

 

[nastynatinikes]

Thanks for posting... You just made me order a pair!!!!!!!!!! Lmao
I had no interest in them until I saw this repainted midsole!
Totally off subject but while buying the Maze have you guys noticed how much the Size? Safari prices have skyrocketed?!

Yea its crazy......plus my size is drying up....not long after release my size 9.5 was going for 250 on stockX....never going to get over not copping at that time.
As for the maze, I actually like the original pair and copped. But wow the white midsole and strings are amazing. I might have to cop a 2nd pair to customize, they look that good.

 

[doug3fresh]

Not only have parras gone up significantly in my size so have anniversary pairs. Smh

 

[Pito101]

35 here, and these were my first AM1’s that I purchased back in 2014. One of my favorite color ways. Wish they would redo with the new shape.

 

[SUPER BLACK]

Confession: I'm so used to primarily focus on old releases of AM1s that every time I see the word "Maze" I read it as "Maize" at first and get a bit excited.

 

[urn0tlike]

Maize > maze

 

[fahqu001]

38 yrs old here, not sure when my first AM1 was but i do vivdly remember choosing to buy a pair of reebok pump preseasons over og carmines back then smh

I got the Infrared 6s, but that was the last pair of Jordan’s I bought until the 11s. My interest really waned on the model after the 7s released. Thank God for retros, because I only liked 1-6s and 11s.

I wanted Pumps, too, but ironically never bought a pair. I think my parents had sticker shock, even though I was getting 12-20 pairs of shoes a year in middle school lol. Still remember the Dominic Wilkin’s commercial like it was yesterday. And then off course there was Dee Brown. Go Jacksonville U Dolphins.

44 here. Back in junior high/high school, I was on the track & cross country teams, and my go-to shoes were usually some kind of Air Pegasus. I liked them fine (even though I chewed through 'em pretty quickly, iirc) - but what I really wanted was a pair of AM1s. I don't remember the details of pricing at the time, but apparently AM1s were more expensive than the Pegasus - enough of a difference such that my mom didn't want to pay for them. So, I stuck with the Pegasus.

Fast forward thirty-ish years. AM1 completely fell off my radar for a few decades, and then (relatively recently) I got into sneakers again. Just last year, I realized AM1s are still out there. It was a eureka moment - I no longer have to ask my mom! Started with a pair of Currys, and now I have 8 pairs of AM1 - which, I realize, is nothing compared to most of the NTers in here. But the 14-year old inside me is ecstatic about those purchases.

My first pair of Pegasus’. Still remember the mall in Orlando where I bought’em.

 

[snkrfollower]

Long post alert

Spoiler

I'll expose myself as a relative poseur here, but I don't care.

40 going on 41 in a few weeks. Was never really into sneakers as a kid during the 80s-90s because I was from a suburban middle class family that bought me one pair in August before school started and one pair after Christmas. As a diehard Knicks fan as a kid I never even considered Js as a kid since I hated the Bulls and Jordan, and I reflected that hate onto Nike in general (still kinda do, too, lol). But what I did like was weird stuff nobody else had. I wore the Le Coq Sportif Yannick Noahs in 6th grade. My favorite pair as a kid was the Adidas Intruder John Starks. I had Reebok Pumps in HS. But I was pretty much totally anti-Nike until college. By then when I had a few extra bucks at Christmas or whenever I'd hit Marshalls and get something new when I could.

In the summer of '99 I bought AM 98 Gundams for $60 (because unlike today absolutely nobody liked them other than me 21 years ago), but while I was flirting with the girl at the counter she completely forgot to scan the tag and just put them in the bag so I got them for free. I also loved my Zoom Tallac GTXs from 98, but I still really didn't have any sense of sneakers as anything but utilitarian until 2013.

Then a few years ago all hell broke loose.

I had just started my current job, was no longer working from home in my PJs and had substantial disposable income for the first time in my life. I was on vacation in South Carolina and in a mall I happened to glance inside a store and saw these Griffey Max 360s and just lost my ever-loving ****:

No idea why, but for the first time in my life I saw sneakers as style and art. And while I ordered the Griffeys like 15 mins after I got home after my vacation, I bought these at Ross for like $45 while I was still in Myrtle:

Maybe it was the orange hit, maybe it was the nubuck/suede/whatever it technically is, or more likely it was the shape and style, but I was like "ok, these are it man."

But since I was still Joe Discount, the next pair I bought were these for like $50 at Marshalls:

And while I now realize my eyes were opened to AM1s during the dark ages, I still love both these pairs and have worn both in the last week. And considering I now have like 400 pairs of sneakers (only about 20-25 or so are AM1s) it really means sonething when I wear something more than a handful of times a year. But the Pinnacles and the new/OG shape have made me buy a slew of AM1s. The comfort, style and, frankly, the community here on NT has really fed my purchasing habits. In the short time I've been OD'ing on sneakers I've actually focused mostly on just the stuff I really like: AJ1-13 (mainly focused on 1s, 4s and 6s), retro Nike hoops shoes from 87-95 or so, retro Saucony runners, Asics GL3s & 5s, Adidas boost/some retro styles, and AM1s.

I've done a lot of catching up on all that I missed during the years when I didn't appreciate shoes as the wearable art they are, but I'm really glad I found AM1s and this crew here on NT.

 

[jc5123]

Restock of these on ndc

Size 12 available

https://www.nike.com/t/air-max-1-womens-shoe-qMPRPG/319986-117

 

[MrKDes]

Restock of these on ndc

Size 12 available

https://www.nike.com/t/air-max-1-womens-shoe-qMPRPG/319986-117

Thanks! Purchased! Now for those violets

Staying patient is key. Not feeding these resellers, especially for a GR

 

[pmtotheam]

I may or may not have put in a bid for a pair of anniversary reds after seeing them a bunch in Ramy

 

[urn0tlike]

Thanks for the link for the teals. Got a 12 for $90 with a bday code. Just need purples still.

 

[dblplay1212]

Want teals but they are pretty similar to Aquas and I dont wear those all that much. Hmm.

 

[vinnuendo]

I may or may not have put in a bid for a pair of anniversary reds after seeing them a bunch in Ramy

They're in stock in scattered sizes on footsites like finishline, champs. Check your local ones, too, or call. My mall still had them on shelves two weeks ago.

 

[infamousbape]

Susan’s came in... I must say the quality and materials on these is exceptional... a bit of an odd duck in terms of styling but when the dust settles years from now they will be seen as a true classic... I already prefer them to SWs....

 

[nastynatinikes]

This is a phenomenal sneaker.

 

[dmxgod]

This is a phenomenal sneaker.

These are growing on me more and more

 

[cumma]

Want teals but they are pretty similar to Aquas and I dont wear those all that much. Hmm.

Uuuh, don’t compare em with Aquas, please!