The last three decades of Air MI have been characterized by a consistent stream of innovation.
The relationship between the two parties matured into Nike’s full acquisition of Tetra in 1991. In 1986, the firm developed the Visi-Air tubing that made the Air Max 1 possible and from 1989 to 1991 pioneered the blow molding of Air bags, a process that has allowed for increased cushioning in visible Air shoes. Tetra started working with Nike on Air-Soles in 1981.
Louis-area plastics manufacturer founded on four major principles: quality, service, innovation and engineering. While the Air-Sole debuted in the late ’70s with the Tailwind, its development as a Nike icon owes much to the continually progressive work of Air Manufacturing Innovation (Air MI).Īir MI began life as Tetra Plastics, a St.
With that breakthrough, the shoe considers the dawn of Air and honors decades of Nike experimentation and innovation in the cushioning. Decreasing layers between foot and Air, and placing the unit between two hard surfaces, the Air Max Pre-Day achieves a more pronounced bounce with each walking stride. The difference? Rather than only visible through a window, the full Air unit is now exposed between the midsole and outsole.īeyond the visual impact of the engineering, this articulation of the Air unit also supports a new underfoot sensation. Fully exposed, the heel Air bag is the same one employed in current Air Max 1s, Air Max 90s, Air Jordan IIIs, IVs, Vs and VIs. The shoe’s arresting aesthetic, a blend of the late-1970s and the 2020s, highlights a simplified design ethos that minimizes material waste with at least 20 percent recycled content by weight (the upper is 100 percent recycled polyester the outsole about 13 percent Nike Grind Rubber) and positions the Air unit in an entirely new light.
MaWith a stance reminiscent of Nike’s jogging shoe golden era (think the Daybreak, produced from 1979 to 1981) and a radical, visible Nike Air heel unit, the Nike Air Max Pre-Day breaks new ground in Air.