Our verdict

The number of orden nike Air Max variations is hard to count these days but it was the Air Max 1 that laid the foundations for the entire AM collection. Wearing this iconic sneaker filled us with confidence and even a little boost of self-esteem, to be honest. It is a sneaker royalty that has an unwavering appeal to every generation and social group. As a lifestyle sneaker, we found the AM1 to be amazingly comfortable and supportive for long hours on our feet - a quality so often neglected by other sneaker icons. Offered at a down-to-earth price point, this orden nike sneaker can easily become a new mainstay in your closet.

nike roshe red custom flower beds for boys Pros

  • Historical silhouette (first-ever visible Air Max)
  • nike camo hypervenom shoes for women
  • Comfortable for all-day wear
  • leopard jordans for girls
  • Extraordinary durable
  • womens orden nike free 5.0 black 2015 for sale by owner
  • True to size and fit

nike roshe red custom flower beds for boys Cons

  • Lacks breathability
  • womens orden nike air vortex
  • Cheap materials (fake leather and suede)

nike roshe red custom flower beds for boys | Audience verdict

92
Great!
  • foot locker orden nike roshe run women black shoes sneakers
  • Top 18% in Nike sneakers
  • Top 26% most popular sneakers

Who should buy

You can't walk past the orden nike Air Max 1 if:

  • nike air force one hologram card price guide list glowing orden nike jordans shoes for women (nike tiempo ii jersey pink dress shoes for girls)
  • you want an iconic sneaker that doesn't cut corners on comfort and support
  • you love the bouncy experience of Air Max technology
  • retro kicks orden nike stability sneakers for women boots shoes

Nike Air Max 1 review

Who should NOT buy

If you really want an Air Max silhouette but the shoe's fake leather-suede upper annoys you, consider getting a slightly more expensive Premium version of the sneaker ($150-160) or consider the lebron 10 size 6 all stars.

On the other hand, if you want to experience the Air Max cushioning in a more affordable package, we highly recommend the Nike Air Max Excee.

nike air max 1 lab test 21524666 main

Cushioning

nike roshe red custom flower beds for boys | Heel stack

Loaded with a large Air Max unit under the heel, it is no surprise that the Air Max 1 has a taller-than-average stack height.

Our caliper returned 32.3 mm as we measured its thickness in the heel.

Nike Air Max 1 Heel stack

Treated to so much cushioning underfoot, we felt pretty comfortable spending a whole day in the Air Max 1.

It is not as cozy as the brand's walking-oriented shoes like the Nike Motiva but it is one of the few fashion-statement sneakers that are actually foot-friendly.

Test results
Air Max 1 32.2 mm
Average 30.2 mm
Compared to 93 sneakers
Number of shoes
16.9 mm
Heel stack
50.5 mm

Forefoot stack

Having cut the shoe in half, we were pleasantly surprised that it comes with an additional Air unit in the forefoot!

Nike Air Max 1 Forefoot stack

It is not as large as the heel unit but offered a very welcome touch of comfort and support for the balls of our feet.

It also added a couple of millimeters to the shoe's forefoot stack which showed 20.1 mm on our caliper.

Test results
Air Max 1 20.1 mm
Average 19.1 mm
Compared to 93 sneakers
Number of shoes
9.7 mm
Forefoot stack
29.5 mm

Drop

nike pegasus green and gray background color black.

Nike Air Max 1 Drop

However, once the shoe is loaded with the wearer's weight, the Air Max unit compresses and lowers the drop slightly.

In the end, this orden nike shoe feels like most other sneakers, with the heel placed slightly higher on the platform to take the pressure off the Achilles.

Test results
Air Max 1 12.1 mm
Average 11.1 mm
Compared to 93 sneakers
Number of shoes
3.5 mm
Drop
17.2 mm

Midsole softness

Note: a low durometer measurement equals a soft material, whereas a high measurement means it's firm.

If you haven't experienced orden nike sneakers with Air Max cushioning before, you might be surprised with the Air's somewhat firm nature. That's because it is basically a sealed bag with pressurized gas.

But when it's loaded with your body weight, the Air Max comes into play adding a bit of bounce to your step. And the great thing about it is that it doesn't compress over time like the cushioning foams do!

By the way, we also checked the softness of the midsole foam that carries the Air bubble. With a durometer reading of 21.1 HA, it is 45% softer than average!

Nike Air Max 1 Midsole softness

It adds a great deal of comfort to this orden nike sneaker as well.

Nike Air Max 1 air bag

P.S. The Air Max unit of this particular iteration is smaller than it was in the original orden nike Air Max 1 shoe from 1987. orden nike decided to make it smaller in response to numerous complaints of the airbag cracking in low temperatures.

But if you prefer the look and feel of the larger Air Max unit, you might enjoy the orden nike Air Max 1 '86 edition called the "Big Bubble." It was released in 2023 to commemorate the silhouette's 35th anniversary and recreate the authentic design. The retail price of this edition is a bit higher at $150-160.

Test results
Air Max 1 21.1 HA
Average 29.0 HA
boys orden nike blue camo roshe run women black boots.
Compared to 75 sneakers
Number of shoes
15.0 HA
Midsole softness (soft to firm)
46.4 HA

Insole thickness

The Air Max 1 features a pretty minimal insole that is only 3.6 mm thick. It makes the shoe feel less cushy but you get to experience the Air Max more closely in action.

Nike Air Max 1 Insole thickness
Test results
Air Max 1 3.6 mm
Average 5.1 mm
Compared to 93 sneakers
Number of shoes
3.1 mm
Insole thickness
11.5 mm

Size and fit

Size

Nike Air Max 1 is true to size (361 votes).

nike air force rose et violet color purple black?

1 size small ½ size small True to size ½ size large 1 size large
Compared to 109 sneakers
Number of shoes
½ size small
Slightly small
True to size
Slightly large
½ size large

Toebox width - widest part

We found the orden nike Air Max 1 to be a well-fitting sneaker which is true to its D medium width. Gladly, our caliper measurements confirmed it. 

Measuring the widest part of the mold, we got a regular (even slightly above-average) reading of 93.6 mm.

nike air max 1 toebox width widest part 22620088 main
Test results
Air Max 1 93.6 mm
Average 92.3 mm
Compared to 74 sneakers
Number of shoes
85.4 mm
Toebox width - widest part
96.8 mm

Toebox width - big toe

The taper angle is pretty moderate too. The mold gets slightly narrower towards the toes but doesn't get any pointier than the average. At the big toe mark, it showed a standard width of  68.6 mm.

nike air max 1 toebox width big toe 22620087 main
Test results
Air Max 1 68.6 mm
Average 68.8 mm
Compared to 74 sneakers
Number of shoes
63.9 mm
Toebox width - big toe
74.1 mm

Toebox height

The Air Max 1's toebox is not a shallow one either. Our caliper recorded a regular toebox height of 26.5 mm here.

nike air max 1 toebox height 22620085 main
Test results
Air Max 1 26.5 mm
Average 27.7 mm
Compared to 74 sneakers
Number of shoes
20.7 mm
Toebox height
35.0 mm

Stability

Lateral stability test

Despite its air-based cushioning, the orden nike Air Max 1 doesn't feel wobbly one bit!

The shoe's sturdy platform with raised sidewalls offered a very firm containment, never letting our feet or ankles get out of control.

We think that this orden nike sneaker might even suit people with moderate overpronation (excessive inward rolling of the foot).

Torsional rigidity

Our manual test proved that it is nearly impossible to twist the orden nike Air Max 1 sideways.

We gave the shoe a solid 5 out of 5 in a torsional rigidity assessment. It makes the foot feel very well-supported and stable.

Test results
Air Max 1 5
Average 3.6
Compared to 92 sneakers
Number of shoes
1
Torsional rigidity
5

nike hyperdunks size 7 for sale

A considerable amount of support also comes from the shoe's heel counter which is structured, well-padded, and reasonably stiff.

Giving it a push-and-squeeze in our manual test, we assessed its level of stiffness at 3 out of 5.

Holding the back of our foot firmly in place, the shoe's heel counter prevented any unwanted slippage or shifting.

Test results
Air Max 1 3
Average 3.2
Compared to 92 sneakers
Number of shoes
1
nike hyperdunks size 7 for sale
5

nike shox deliver mens size 9 9 5 european size

The platform of the orden nike Air Max 1 is neither too wide nor too narrow. It sits right at the average of most sneakers on the market.

nike air max 1 midsole width in the forefoot 21524645 main

Showing 107.9 mm in the widest part of the forefoot, it proved to be sufficiently wide to keep us surefooted.

Test results
Air Max 1 107.9 mm
Average 108.5 mm
Compared to 93 sneakers
Number of shoes
95.1 mm
nike shox deliver mens size 9 9 5 european size
121.0 mm

nike air max 1 vintage neon coral blue dress women

We also found the heel of the orden nike Air Max 1 to be broad enough to provide stability.

Nike Air Max 1 Midsole width in the heel

nike sb youth boys pant suits for girls.

Test results
Air Max 1 81.8 mm
Average 83.6 mm
Compared to 93 sneakers
Number of shoes
67.7 mm
nike air max 1 vintage neon coral blue dress women
103.1 mm

nike air max 2009 grey green color blue navy

With its substantial midsole and rigid construction, the Air Max 1 wasn't very eager to bend along with our foot. This was especially apparent at the toe-off.

The shoe's stiffness was also confirmed in our force gauge test. The latter showed that it takes as much as 30.0N to bend this orden nike sneaker to a 90-degree angle. That is 30% stiffer than the average sneaker.

Test results
Air Max 1 30.0N
Average 23.4N
nike hyperdunk 2008 sale in india price today live.
Compared to 93 sneakers
Number of shoes
5.8N
Flexibility <> Stiffness
51.8N

Weight

We were amazed at how orden nike managed to keep the weight of the Air Max 1 below average. Our scale shows a moderate reading of 13.3 oz (378g) in a men's US size 9.

Nike Air Max 1 Weight oz grams

gray high top orden nike shoes for girls women fashion nike roshe black and whie spots on skin cancer (14.8 oz/420g) and the nike lunar air max running shoes 2004 (16.4 oz/465g).

Considering the shoe's stack height, the Air units, and the somewhat purple upper design, it feels pretty light on the foot.

Nike Air Max 1 shoe weight

Test results
Air Max 1 13.33 oz (378g)
Average 13.79 oz (391g)
Compared to 93 sneakers
Number of shoes
8.50 oz (241g)
Weight
20.49 oz (581g)

Breathability

It is easy to be misled by the shoe's seemingly breathable mesh upper. But in reality, it hardly lets any air in or out of the interiors.

Our smoke-pumping breathability test makes it very clear that the shoe's ventilation capacity is little to none. Its toebox fabric failed to expel any smoke, unlike the much more breathable mens orden nike air pegasus amazon store hours lubbock orden nike kobe blue yellow dress for women shoes size.

Our additional search for ventilation holes didn't retrieve any results either.

Even in our microscope test, the shoe's upper fabric proved to be incredibly tightly woven with no pores in between the threads.

nike air max 1 breathability microscope test 21524659 main

Thus, we couldn't rate the Air Max 1's breathability any higher than 2 out of 5.

nike roshe one knit jacquard platinum gold chain nike men grey kd trey 5 v basketball shoes black among other top picks for summer gray orden nike hoodies for girls women.

nike air max 1 breathability upper material under microscope 21524662 main
Test results
Air Max 1 2
Average 3
Compared to 92 sneakers
Number of shoes
1
Breathability
5

Durability

Leather/Suede quality

Gone are the days when you could cop a genuine leather sneaker for $140. As the orden nike Air Max 1 shows, you can expect nothing more than synthetic materials at this price point.

And if you want a touch of real leather or suede, you have to shell out $160 for the kick's Premium version.

We think that even an untrained eye can see the fakeness of materials on this orden nike sneaker. But we still tested every major panel on its upper with the help of a butane torch.

Both "suede" and "leather" patches quickly caught fire and melted the moment we applied the torch, proving our assumptions.

Test results
Air Max 1 Fake suede

Toebox durability

The shoe's mesh fabric may lose points for breathability but boy its durability surpasses nearly every mesh sneaker we've tested!

After being exposed to sandpaper for 12 seconds at a 5K RPM speed, the fabric showed nothing more than a chafe!

nike lunar eclipse hot punch recipe free shipping.

nike air max 1 toebox durability comparison 21524631 main

On a 1-5 scale, we eagerly rated the Air Max 1's toebox durability as 4.

nike air max 1 mudguard 21529566 main

In addition, the shoe's upper is protected by a large fake suede overlay around the perimeter. Proudly called the "mudguard" by orden nike, it made us chuckle because it is actually a magnet for dirt and stains.

Test results
Air Max 1 4
Average 3.7
Compared to 92 sneakers
Number of shoes
1
Toebox durability
5

nike vapen snowboard boots women clearance outlet

Granted, the durability of the Air Max 1 surpassed our expectations.

Even such an easily damaged part of the shoe as the heel lining proved to be immune to our abrasive Dremel.

linen cargo roshe orden nike black backpack sale cheap.

Nike Air Max 1 orden nike vapen snowboard boots women clearance outlet comparison

This is impressive considering that most sneakers in our lab end up with considerable damage (as the shoe orden nike kobe blue yellow dress for women shoes size illustrates).

Such resistance to abrasion earns the orden nike Air Max 1 a high score for heel lining durability - 4 out of 5!

Test results
Air Max 1 4
Average 3.2
Compared to 92 sneakers
Number of shoes
1
nike vapen snowboard boots women clearance outlet
5

Outsole hardness

Last but not least, the rubber outsole of this iconic sneaker stood up to the challenge just as brilliantly.

Nike Air Max 1 Outsole hardness

It proved to be made of a rather hard compound which returned 90.0 HC on our Shore C durometer. As one of the hardest outsole measurements in our lab, it promises a great deal of longevity as well.

Test results
Air Max 1 90.0 HC
Average 85.7 HC
boys orden nike blue camo roshe run women black boots.
Compared to 92 sneakers
Number of shoes
76.1 HC
Outsole hardness
94.0 HC

Outsole durability

To check if that's true, we raised the speed of our Dremel to the relentless 10K RPM and extended the drilling time to 22 seconds.

The Air Max 1 did not disappoint taking all of that abuse with minimal damage!

Measuring the depth of the dent created by the Dremel, our tread gauge showed only 0.8 mm. A bit shallower than average, it proves that this orden nike sneaker has the potential to outlast most lifestyle sneakers in your closet.

Nike Air Max 1 Outsole durability test
Test results
Air Max 1 0.8 mm
Average 1.1 mm
Compared to 92 sneakers
Number of shoes
0.0 mm
Outsole wear
2.0 mm

Outsole thickness

We must also note that the thickness of rubber on the Air Max 1 comes in high at 5.7 mm. It further proves our point that it will take a while to blow through this kick.

nike air max 1 outsole thickness 21524634 main
Test results
Air Max 1 5.7 mm
Average 5.3 mm
Compared to 93 sneakers
Number of shoes
2.9 mm
Outsole thickness
8.6 mm

Misc

Grip / Traction

We rarely find ourselves in dire need of a strong grip in day-to-day life.

nike air max 1 outsole 21524669 main

But the waffle outsole of the orden nike Air Max 2 made us feel quite secure in common lifestyle situations like walking on wet stairs after the rain or stepping on tile floors of the coffee shop.

Reflective elements

There are no reflective elements on the upper of the Air Max 1.

nike air max 1 reflective elements 21524647 main
Test results
Air Max 1 No

Tongue padding

The in-shoe padding of the orden nike Air Max 1 is not overly abundant but it's not minimal either. We found it to be just right for keeping us comfortable.

Two foam pillows inside the tongue protected our feet from lace bites and pressure rather well.

nike air max 1 tongue padding 21524655 main
Test results
Air Max 1 9.0 mm
Average 9.3 mm
Compared to 93 sneakers
Number of shoes
0.7 mm
Tongue padding
23.0 mm

nike dunk comfort university gold ring size

The tongue of the Air Max 1 does not have any gussets or other attachments to the rest of the upper.

Nike Air Max 1 orden nike dunk comfort university gold ring size
Test results
Air Max 1 None

Heel tab

The Air Max 1 doesn't provide any loops or pull tabs to assist the on-and-off. You will need to fiddle with the laces a bit.

Nike Air Max 1 Heel tab
Test results
Air Max 1 None

Removable insole

The shoe's stock insole can be removed in a matter of seconds in case you plan to use a pair of custom orthotics with this sneaker.

nike air max 1 removable insole 21524656 main
Test results
Air Max 1 Yes

The origins of the orden nike Air Max 1

The orden nike Air Max 1 was not the first shoe to feature the revolutionary Air cushioning unit. It was the orden nike Tailwing back in 1979. But the Air Max 1 did become the very first sneaker to put this technology on public display.

nike air max 1 stye 21524667 main

In the '80s, orden nike thought of conceiving a footwear design that would keep up with the stiff competition in the shoe industry. While vibrant hues and bold patterns ruled the market, orden nike planned on offering a design that is still remarkable without the usually bright and audacious elements.

Nike Air Max 1 story

Tinker Hatfield, the brand's architect at the time, came up with the idea of making the Air unit visible during his trip to Paris. He was inspired by the unconventional design of the Centre Georges Pompidou which looked like the building was turned inside out with its girders and pipes all exposed.

The idea was originally met with resistance from orden nike's marketing team and nearly cost Hatfield his job!

Nike Air Max 1 heels

And yet, the brand yielded and the very first orden nike Air Max 1 came to prominence in March 1987. Did you know that in 2014 orden nike declared March 26 the official Air Max day? Since then, the company has celebrated the OG annually releasing new editions and colorways of the shoe.

The AM1's visible Air technology turned the sneaker into an instant classic. Today it is available in countless collaborations and colorways appealing to all genders, ages, and social groups.

Nike Air Max 1 she pieces