Unless you've been living under a rock for the past five months, you'd know that the Air Max 95 has had one of its biggest years yet. Alongside special editions like the ‘Jewel,’ the sneakerverse was also blessed with three (!) exclusive colourways from London streetwear label Corteiz. Each one of these sold out within seconds of dropping, proving that the retro silhouette has still got it. Even though the Air Jordan 1 High is almost four decades old, it continues to reign supreme as one of the most coveted trainers ever made (Ben Affleck just can't get enough of it). This year alone we've seen the release of the ‘Elephant’ and the ‘Lucky Green,’ both of which sold out within seconds of launching. Earlier this week, the MJ-helmed label also announced a collaboration with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and even more ‘Lost & Found’ restocks are expected to drop very, very soon. Slightly bulkier than its 2016 predecessor, the Air Max 2017 swapped out a Flywire-based upper in favor of a single piece of engineered Flymesh. Foam is incorporated into the mid-section for an improved fit, while a full-length Max Air unit cushions every step. Overshadowed by the Air VaporMax the year it debuted, today the AM2017 counts a cult following around the world. First launched in a grey/neon colorway, the Air Max 95 was the first Air Max shoe to feature visible Air in the forefoot as well as the heel. Conceived by Sergio Lozano, the upper of the AM95 took abstract inspiration from eroding layers of rock found in places like the Grand Canyon and the structure of the human rib cage. The 95 was the first Air Max to feature a black midsole, unlike its predecessors which featured white midsoles. Lozano’s design was inspired by practicality—a design intended to hide silt accumulated from running. These natural references are reflected in the paneled upper of the shoe, which features only a diminutive Swoosh, in contrast to the prominently placed logos on previous Air Max sneakers. We’re only speculating, but it looks like the team behind this one wanted to close out the 90s with a tribute to the most offensive trends of the era. They basically channelled 10 years of tribal tatts, ill-fitting rave fashion, and chunky skate shoes into one silhouette, which clearly hasn’t stood the test of time. The Air Tuned Max was the first to have a full-length Tuned Air system, one year after the technology first appeared in the Air Max Plus (aka TN). As hard as it is to look at, if Nike were to retro this one we’d be tempted to cop — there really is no other shoe quite like it. In 2009, Nike rebooted the Tailwind line with the Tailwind+ 2, succeeded by the 3, 4, 5 and 6. British grime artist Skepta released his own signature take on the Tailwind 5—mixing two iterations of the shoe—leading to renewed cultural interest in the sneaker. Totally. I mean, we’ve always been about telling stories like Concepts’ ‘Orange Lobster’, you know what I mean? That’s straight from an account. We know sneakerheads get it. When I first started at SB, I was working on seasonal narrative stories like the Blazer Edge ‘Hack Pack’. After that, I ended up falling into the collaborations and Quickstrike releases. Design is cool, but storytelling is really what I fell in love with. Set to be Abloh's third take on the mid-top Air Force 1, unlike his first two iterations, this one swaps out the knit upper in favour of a full leather construction. Painted in a dark green colour scheme, it's contrasted by a stitched-on Nike Swoosh and comes with all of the deconstructed bells and whistles that you'd expect from Off-White. From the Helvetica text across the sides to the plastic zip tie, you'll even find two sets of laces here. Because why not? At the time, I was thinking, ‘Damn, maybe we’ve been pushing things a little too far.’ But at the end of the day, how many people can say they drew a shark as a Swoosh? Not many. But apologies to anyone else trying to mess up the Swoosh – I messed it up for them. A New Balance Grey Day event isn’t a New Balance Grey Day event without some fresh product to gawk over, so naturally, there was a whole swath of sneakers on show. The extensive ‘Moon Daze’ pack – which includes the 550, 580, 9060 and more – was paraded on elevated plinths. There was also a selection of archival OG grey NBs sourced and curated by Sneaker Freaker, many of which were first-issue 99x models dating back to the mid-1980s! The Air Max 98 is an underdog in the Air Max franchise. Created by Sergio Lozano, the designer responsible for the Air Max 95, the AM98 featured a newly designed upper, sitting atop the same sole unit as the Air Max 97. Upon its release, the 98 was presented in a 'Tour Yellow' color scheme. However, this particular Air Max model wasn’t an overwhelming success and it wasn’t until 2016 that the sneaker came back into the spotlight courtesy of a Supreme capsule. The collaboration included patent-leather makeups that nod towards the Prada America’s Cup sneaker. Inspired by Nike’s rich running history, the Air Max Pre-Day pays homage to Steve Prefontaine, an early muse of the brand. The shoe is crafted from at least 20% recycled material by weight, highlighted by jagged lines throughout that radiate a propulsive aesthetic.