Nike Air Max Plus: An icon turns 25

2023-12-27 07:14:39

TNs or Air Max Plus: What now?

When the Nike Air Max Plus came out in 1998, it changed everything. With its Tuned Air technology, it became a bestseller around the world. With a TN Air logo firmly emblazoned on the heel of each pair, the new logo earned the shoe a new nickname: TNs. Both the UK and Australia quickly adopted the TN silhouette and its pseudonym – cementing the Air Max Plus’s status as a symbol of youth culture.

And what does Foot Locker have to do with it?

Foot Locker describes itself as the “Home of TN” and is known for a selection of many Air Max Plus colorways. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Nike TN, Foot Locker has released the TN 25th. The most popular TN models were voted for by 150,000 sneaker fans worldwide via social media, and from 16 designs the four finalists were put together to create this design – with black mesh overlays and logos on the heels. Additionally, Foot Locker presents the limited coffee table book “Stay Tuned” in collaboration with Sneaker Freaker and Nike. The book contains the history of the Nike TN, iconic silhouettes as well as interviews with TN designer Sean McDowell and many more. A custom shoe box with graphics detailing the shoe’s journey reveals another layer of the story. The pair is also strongly reminiscent of the sneaker’s origins.

And what would they be?

It all started in 1997 when designer Sean McDowell unknowingly began designing the shoe prior to his employment at Nike. On a beach in Florida, he watched the color gradient of the sky at sunset and how the palm trees swayed in the wind. McDowell imagined how these palm tree shapes could hold and immobilize a person’s foot and quickly saved the idea for future use. When McDowell landed at Nike a few months later, he was given the big task of developing a new running shoe that would then be sold at Foot Locker. The shoe had to use Nike’s new Air Max technology.

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And how do you style a mismatched sneaker?

I have to admit that it’s hard to combine a sneaker that is known for its eye-catching look. TNs are best suited to loose-fit trousers, but also to cargo trousers, which give the outfit additional character.