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Originally developed by Tinker Hatfield and Mark Parker in 1987, the first Air Max, the Air Max 1 was designed to give runners the best cushioning possible, a solution that was facilitated by enlarging the Air bag in the midsole. This new Air bag was big enough to reach the edges of the shoe, allowing designers to remove part of the midsole so it could be seen. Hatfield, now VP of Innovation Design and Special Projects, conceptualized and developed the Air Max?s signature visible Air unit and bright colorways after seeing the Georges Pompidou Center in Paris, a modern building with large glass walls that allow the inside of the building to be seen.
