Nike Is Releasing Its Lightest Air Max Sneakers Ever

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Nearly 30 years after the Air Max 1 transformed the way we see technology and footwear with its visible air soles, Nike is giving the sneaker an innovative makeover, complete with the brand’s lightweight Flyknit technology.

The new shoe, dubbed the Air Max 1 Ultra Flyknit, is the first time Nike has constructed the Air Max sneaker with Flyknit, a technique that utilizes yarns to create a formfitting and featherweight knitted silhouette, making them the lightest Air Max 1s to date.

Photo: Courtesy of Nike

"The main goal was to capture the original Max 1 design lines using Flyknit technology, to make it conform to your foot like a glove," says Nike’s senior footwear designer, Ben Yun.

"It was a difficult process. We had to go through numerous rounds of sketches and designs in the beginning to get to a silhouette that could work well with both the Flyknit material and the structure of the Air Max 1."

Photo: Courtesy of Nike

In short, the Air Max 1 Ultra Flyknit has the appeal and style of the old Air Max with less of the bulk. The Flyknit technology is used along the uppers of the shoes (in the toe and tongue) for ventilation, while the soles showcase the visible air bubbles that spurred a franchise so strong, Nike releases a new version of the silhouette every year.

Colors range from a classic pair in black, white, and gray, to a vibrant, almost neon orange with white Nike swoosh.

You can get your hands on a men’s or women’s pair of Nike’s lightest Air Max 1s ever for $160 on July 28th at global Nike retailers and on NikeiD’s website. But for now, check out this Footlocker video from Nike’s Air Max 1 debut back in 1987: