Air Max Plus

The Air Max Plus: a tribute to a classic 

With the Air Max Plus, Nike brought the classic Air Max from the nineties back into the stores – of course with the hyped “Tuned” Air cushioning for maximum comfort and original design. Like the original, the silhouette has a shaft reminiscent of a whale fin and is also sometimes called “Shark Nike” due to its overall shape. Fittingly, the wavy designer lines are reminiscent of palm leaves on the beach – a thoroughly coherent model. In addition to the legendary cushioning, soft leather and foam ensure a soft feel. The absolute all-rounder – today as then!

One thing up front: You may have noticed that the terms Air Max Plus and Nike TN are often thrown together. This is actually correct! The Air Max Plus and the Nike TN are one and the same model. Originally, there was supposed to be a rebranding of the original and that’s why the name was “Tuned” to reflect the technology used. However, that didn’t run officially and Nike continues to sell the silhouette under the Air Max Plus name. Other retailers like Foot Locker use the name TN, which simply stands for Tuned Air technology. That was all!

But now for the story behind the model, popular variants and special features – let’s go!

Sean McDowell and the Air Max Plus

Even before his time at Nike, Sean McDowell drew the first sketches of the TN – on the beach in Florida. The casual mood and palm trees blowing in the wind inspired him to create the design of the Nike TN that is still so characteristic today. 

When he joined Nike in 1997, he was immediately married to a project for Foot Locker. The retailer had already rejected 15 designs for a new running shoe – until McDowell finally came around the corner with the Air Max Plus. Not only did it pack a punch in terms of design, but it also featured never-before-seen technology. To this day, the model is continuously available in stores and has become a real cult object. The soft spot for the shoe even went so far that someone had the complete silhouette tattooed on his foot – including the TN logo!

McDowell wasn’t just responsible for the design of the Air Max Plus, though. Among other things, he designed footware for the 2008 Olympics, gave Converse a more sustainable makeover, and worked on the Nike Tuned 1 in Yellow. Fun Fact: Sean McDowell helped design the suit for the first Spider-Man movie – a real tour de force!

Popular variants of the Air Max Plus

The original model, launched in 1998, has since appeared in numerous colorways and variants, such as with leather or as a slip-on. Foot Locker was initially the sole distributor for the Nike TN, but now you can also buy the model directly from the manufacturer. 

The silhouette designed as a running shoe with the well-known Tuned Air technology has long been a fixture in the lifestyle sector. The shoe also enjoys a certain notoriety in the music scene: it is the favorite model of the 187 Straßenbande from Hamburg and is especially hyped by the rapper LX. In addition to its technical innovations, the TN stands for one thing in particular: an absolute classic among sneakers.

But which Air Max Plus releases are the most popular? 

The Nike Tuned 3 aka Air Max Plus 3

The Nike Air Max Plus 3 – or Nike Tuned 3 – has been equipped with futuristic lines and even more durable materials. The visible Air damping and other Air elements, together with the soft foam, also provide the Nike TN 3 with the best wearing comfort – whether for lifestyle or as a running shoe. 

Visually, the Nike TN 3 is designed a bit more dynamic than the original model. For this purpose, the rear part of the shoe was provided with a plastic element and the wavy lines were somewhat straightened. The Air Max Plus 3 is now available in various colorways.

Nike Air Max Plus white

In addition to the many colorful variants of the model, especially the Nike TNs in white are hyped. In pure white, the silhouette looks clean and can be elegantly combined. The airy mesh in the upper material complements the casual feel. The Nike TN for women is available completely in white including the sole, whereas the white TN for men is available with a black sole and in an overall darker white. In general, the Nike TNs ladies have a rather lighter color scheme than the men’s sneaker.

The specifics of the model

For the fit of the Nike TN, you can assume the other Air Max shoes. The model is not true to size, but slightly smaller. You can orientate yourself on the Air Max 97 or the Air Max 1, which are both similar. Compared to the Air Force 1, the Air Max Plus is half a size larger. 

But of course there are other special features that make the Air Max Plus so popular. The rubber sole shows the special Air damping and the synthetic upper provides comfort together with the foam. The model is now available in sometimes more, sometimes less eye-catching colorways and in cities like London or Melbourne, regional releases keep coming. The first 3 models of the TN also represent an optical speciality. They tell the story of a whole day: the first shoe stood in color for dusk, the second for the night with a clear starry sky and the third for the fresh and bright sunrise – a creative storyline by Sean McDowell.

In addition to the special design, however, there is another technical feature of the model: the designer of the Air Max Plus was himself an avid runner and wondered why reflective elements are always placed only on the back of a shoe. After all, as a runner, you learn to run against traffic. So McDowell designed reflective lines across the entire shoe so that runners could also be seen in time by oncoming vehicles. 

As you can see, there is a lot of know-how and attention to detail in the Nike TN. The model was not just created on the side, but the development has hand and foot. It’s no wonder that the silhouette, which was designed as a running shoe, quickly made its way into street style and has been sold successfully for decades. 

All new releases and updates you will find here, of course!

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