Within the sneaker community, the Air Max 97 is recognised as one of the greatest silhouettes to be born from the Swoosh, and the OG colourway, ‘silver bullet’ is seen as the quintessential iteration. To celebrate its 25th anniversary, Nike stockists are re-releasing the trainer for the first time since 2017.
Framed by Christian Tresser who based his design on water ripples, the 1997 model is distinguishable by the 360-degree 3M piping that wraps around the upper and Air window that forms the midsole. (Fun fact: The 97 was the first Nike tread to be augmented by a full-length Air cushioning unit.)
The OG colourway was also conceived by Tresser, who, contrary to popular belief, sought inspiration from bicycles, not bullet trains. Tresser was enthralled by the metal-on-metal finishes of mid-Nineties mountain bikes and utilised his fascination to fashion a futuristic shoe to excite Nike patrons.
25 years later and the 'silver bullet' is just as sought after as it was on launch. Thus, staunch collectors are delighted that the 2022 reissue is true to the original – red accents, reflective details, dual tabs and an embroidered mini swoosh on the lateral side included.
The Air Max 97 ‘silver bullet’ drops on Friday 11th November on SNKRS, BSTN and Offspring, and via raffle on Hanon and End.
