Nike Launch the Air Max 200

Nike’s Air Max 200 puts a modern spin on the Air Max 180.

Air Maxes may have originally been intended for running, but they found a second home on the streets long, long ago. Whether it be Tinker Hatfield–designed originals like the Air Max 1, Air Max BW, and Air Max 90, or the line’s subsequent annual flagships and myriad offshoots, Air Maxes have been the go-to for the majority of sneakerheads for years when it comes to casual wear and grounding the perfect ‘fit.

So it should have come as no surprise that Nike finally dropped an Air Max that was specifically designed with everyday wear – not athletic performance – in mind.

Released in 2018, the Air Max 270 represented that first-ever 100 per cent lifestyle Air Max. Not only did it pack a massive Air bubble (one standing 32mm tall and offering the Swoosh’s biggest heel volume displacement to date), it also aptly paid homage to Air Maxes like the 180 and 93 with a breathable mesh upper that took on clear old-school inspiration while skewing toward sleek, modern design and all-day comfort. Naturally, after debuting on its namesake silhouette, the 270 steez was added to a bevy of different designs following its early 2018 debut.

Images with thanks Nike

In 2019, Nike upped the ante with the wildest Air Max yet: the Air Max 720. The tallest Air bag in history, the 720 blew the 270 out of the water, expanding the 32mm height to 38mm and transforming the unit into a full-length, 360-degree design that cradled the foot and offered more spring than any Air Max to date. Of course, the 720’s Air unit needed an upper to match, and Nike followed suit with something decidedly futuristic and seemingly from another world.

Both the Air Max 270 and 720 were all good and well, but what about those sneaker aficionados looking for something a little less wild, a little less crazy, and a little more in-line with the Air Maxes of old? Were the 270 and 720 the mark of a bold new direction for Nike? Were they signs that the Swoosh was preparing for liftoff and leaving older Air Max ‘heads behind?

Thankfully, Nike have calmed those worries with what may very well be the best Air Max lifestyle shoe yet: the Air Max 200. As the name suggests, the kicks don’t offer quite the bounce of their counterparts but, at the end of the day, do most of us need 32-38mm of air beneath our feet? Probably not.

Like the 270, the 200 is chock-full of retro inspiration, but it’s a clear tribute to one shoe in particular: the Air Max 180. From the lines of the upper to the 180-degree Air Max unit, the 200 is a clear nod to Tinker Hatfield’s underrated classic.

If the Air Max 180 had been designed in 2019, instead of nearly three decades earlier, it would probably look a little something like the 200.

Those looking for the perfect balance of old-school Air Max aesthetics and modern-day tech can cop the Air Max 200 in a number of different colourways right now via SneakerHub.

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