Who designed the original Nike Air Max 1, first released in 1987?

Tinker Hatfield designed the original Nike Air Max 1, which was first released in 1987.

Hatfield drew inspiration from the Centre Pompidou in Paris, whose exposed structural features influenced the shoe’s visible Air cushioning window. Nike’s earlier Air technology had been hidden inside the midsole; the Air Max 1 made the cushioning unit a visible part of the design.

The shoe was originally known simply as the Air Max, and it introduced an important visual and technical idea to Nike footwear. Its combination of performance technology, bold color blocking, and unusual side-panel construction later made it influential far beyond running.

People sometimes confuse Hatfield with Peter Moore, who designed the Air Jordan 1, or Bruce Kilgore, who designed the Air Force 1. Those are separate landmark Nike shoes. Hatfield’s Air Max 1 became the foundation for the long-running Air Max line and its annual Air Max Day celebrations.