NikeLab – the place where Nike keeps its smartest, coolest, most Lab-est lads in darkness, creating really, really nice and cool variants of already dead-popular apparel with possibly unnecessary premium flourishes at a not inconsiderable mark-up – are back at it again.
The Air Max (or the TN, if you’re cool) has been a favourite with stylish stylists and people who you fancy for the past six months, especially with the twentieth anniversary of the iconic Air Max 97 shoe this year. And now, to commemorate another twentieth anniversary, this time of Nike's 'Tuned Air' tech, we are treated to these white, beige, and grey beauties replete with breathable mesh and "reinforced degrade TPU overlays" (the rubber lines, basically) and ace touches like nubuck suede trim and extra-spongey midsoles.
There’s something quite luxe about investing in a pair of expensive, off-white clomper sneakers as the country beckons Summer into its icy boudoir: it implies a certain sense of optimism, of naturally chilled feet. Wearing these with a pair of shorts serves some serious “I like to watch football and drink beer and enjoy the work of Danny Dyer but I’m also reasonably well-read on the basic tenets of socialism and the early work of Zadie Smith”. I like to call it Woke Casual.
I think you’ll like it.
The NikeLab Air Max Plus is available from Mr. Porter now
