20 YEARS AND COUNTING The Nike Air Max 97 Men's Shoe keeps the sneaker favorite going strong with the same design details that made it famous: water-ripple lines, reflective piping and full-length Max Air cushioning. Product Features Leather, synthetic or textile upper depending on color Foam sole with Max Air cushioning Rubber outsole Shown: Wolf Grey/Gym Blue/White/Tour Yellow Style: 921826-006 Air Max 97 Origins Nike's revolutionary Air-Sole unit made its way into Nike footwear in 1978. In 1987, the Nike Air Max 1 debuted with visible air in its heel, allowing fans more than just the feel of Air-Sole comfort—suddenly they could see it. Two years after the Nike Air Max 95 brought visible air to the forefoot, the Nike Air Max 97 arrived with the very first full-length unit. The shoe made a huge splash in the running world, as anticipated by its ripple-effect design lines. It's still making waves over two decades later.