NIKE AIR MAX LUNAR1 – REVIEW

 

Nike’s mighty Air Max One is like your favourite dead rapper – the original material is classic, held in high esteem by both original fans and legions of heads who have since discovered it, even if they weren’t there the first time. But then comes the usual pile of weak remakes, out-takes and remixes, which water down the essence and spoil your enjoyment. Just occasionally though, something new comes out that’s so good it takes you back to the golden days, and it all feels fresh again. I think we’ve just had that kind of moment with the NIKE AIR MAX LUNAR1.

The Air Max One changed the game, both back in ’87 and recently where it was more than partly responsible for the running shoe craze that’s swept the trainer-obsessed world in which we live. As a result we’ve seen about a billion different colourways, collabs and versions, along with some fresh takes on the original palette too – aged-look ‘OG’ versions, Hyperfuse, Engineered Mesh, Tape, Breathe, and now Nike’s all-conquering Lunarlon foam.

While some of these versions didn’t do much for the shoe, the Max Lunar1 makes a lot more sense. Just as the visible Max sole was a world-beater back in the 80’s, running in the second decade of the new millennium has so far been owned by Nike’s Lunarlon foam technology. Despite the 25 year age gap, both innovations are about the same thing – light weight, support and cushioning for the runner.

Put them together and you get a bit of a beauty, with the Lunar1’s sole unit keeping the overall shape of the classic max and the essential air bubble, but sculpting the lunar foam for a more contemporary look and feel. Nike did the same thing to great effect with the Lunar90, but thankfully for these they’ve ditched the metallic colours that divided opinion, and gone with a straight white midsole that evokes the original far more accurately.

Turning to the upper, and again it’s strongly linked to the source material, just updated – layers of lightweight tech mesh in original red, white and light grey are fused together in a no-sew build. Not only does this match the original panelling looks-wise, but also provides a seamless, snug fit and a great sleek, tapered shape – finally the bulky toebox that has plagued recent Max 1s is dead!

With the Max Lunar1, Nike have straight remastered a classic – great to look at, well put together and amazing on foot – there’s clearly life in the old man ’87 yet! The NIKE AIR MAX LUNAR1 is available now from good Nike stockists, and we’ve got a bunch of them one click away via the link-through below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By @Slangwerks