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There is no finish line. Welcome to this week’s edition of Nice Kicks’ Throwback Thursday. Today, we turn our attention to one of the most iconic ’90s running sneakers ever created: the Nike Air Max 93.
Designed by Tinker Hatfield and colloquially referred to as either the AM93 or the Air Max 270, the Air Max 93 was the successor to the 1991 Nike Air Max 180 and served as a model which ushered in a new era of Nike air sole technology. Voted as the 6th best sneaker in 1993 in an article by Complex Magazine in February 2013, the AM93 stayed true to its Air Max history and heritage while incorporating newer technology of the time including a Huarache style nylon inner-boot like that seen in the Nike Air Dynamic Flight and Flight Huarache models. Most notably, the shoe featured a 270-degree visible heel Air Max unit. Better yet, it was brought out in distinctive, bright, loud colorways including the classic white/flame red colorway and a more subdued, cool and refreshing white/blue menthol-black colorway.
One simply couldn’t help but notice the sneaker’s bold, aggressive look. Like Agassi’s Tech Challenge models in his Challenge Court line, the Air Max 93 was the antonym to conservative, traditional, reserved running sneakers and colorways. The ’90s were truly a time of innovation, challenging the status quo and the constant, continuous pushing and expanding of boundaries and limits. The AM93 truly reflected that sentiment.
Also notable is the vintage style black and white Nike Air Max box which accompanied the sneakers, serving as an artifact of that defining era of sneakers, sneaker technology and Nike box evolution. While multiple retros have released over the years, they pale in comparison to the crisp, original colors, quality, construction, as they lack comparable thickness of the heel Air Max unit seen in the original model.
The AM93 remains as one of the most iconic and quintessential 1990s Nike running sneakers in addition to serving as one of the most renowned Nike Air Max sneakers of all-time, a silhouette that nearly a quarter century later, remains as timeless and transcendental as when it originally debuted.
So, go ahead. Wear your Air, and let the world be your road.
