The Best Nike Air Max, For Air Max Day 2023 and Beyond

We might well have the King’s coronation day coming up in May, but there’s a celebration of footwear royalty happening a lot sooner than that. That’s right, the icon status of one of Nike’s best-loved sneakers will be celebrated in all its glory on Air Max Day on 26th March 2023.

The seminal, Swoosh-branded trainer franchise turns 36 years young this year, but this isn’t the first time it’s been awarded a whole day in its honour. In fact, sneakerheads have been honouring its legend ever since 2014, where Nike centred on the release of the Nike Air Max 1 Premium QS ‘Air Max Day’ – a neon update on the initial colourway of the original Air Max model. It’s a tradition that has carried through to this very day, with the leading sports brand using this special date to launch exclusive drops and killer collaborations while also deep diving into the rich history of the shoe itself, as well as all the great contributors - from Tinker Hatfield (Air Max 1) to Christian Tresser (Air Max 97) – who have worked on its development throughout the years.

The 1986 Air Max 1’86 “Big Bubble” are back for Nike Air Max Day 2023

Originally inspired by the open architecture of Paris, OG designer Hatfield cut a small window into the Air Max 1’s midsole, making Nike Air visible for the very first time. That instantly recognisable bubble would spawn a hundred follow-ups, each as hotly anticipated as the next. Flash forward to now and 2019 ushered in the newest member of the Air Max family features the tallest cushion to date for mega bounce and a show-stopping look. But instead of building on this modern day iteration, for Air Max Day 2023 Nike are delving back into the archives to rerelease the long-awaiting Air Max 1’86 “Big Bubble”. Back for the first time since 1986, we’ll see the original four circle tooling feature take centre stage for a re-do ever since it was removed from the shelves due to cracking in colder weather. Only this time, Nike has applied its 30+ years of technical experience to rectify that little teething problem.

But let us just caveat for a moment – this new wave of the Air Max 1’86 “Big Bubble” are going to be gone before you’ve even had time to tie your shoelaces. So with that in mind, we’d like to hero all the Air Max designs we love that are infinitely easier to get your hands on for Air Max Day and beyond. Each and every version is iconic, and you’ll do good to remember that to avoid disappointment. Discover our pick of the best Nike Air Max for men and women to buy now.

The Best Nike Air Max for Men

The Best Nike Air Max for Women