The Nike Air Max 97 is part of the

Nike Air Max Nike Air Max is a line of shoes produced by Nike, Inc., with the first model released in 1987. Air Max shoes are identified by their midsoles incorporating flexible urethane pouches filled with pressurized gas, visible from the exterior of the ...

line of shoes sold and released by

Nike, Inc. Nike, Inc. ( or ) is an American multinational corporation that is engaged in the design, development, manufacturing, and worldwide marketing and sales of footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories, and services. The company is headquartered ne ...

Overview

The Nike Air Max 97 was first released in 1997. The design of the shoe is commonly thought to be inspired by the bullet trains of Japan, but the design was inspired by mountain bikes. The Air Max 97 was Nike's first shoe that introduced full-length air. The Air Max 97 also introduced a hidden lacing system. Due to the influence of Japanese bullet trains, the Air Max 97 silver colorway was nicknamed the "silver bullet."

Popularity and impact

Upon release in 1997, the Air Max 97 retailed at $150, about $10 dollars more than its predecessors. The shoe enjoyed much popularity in Italy, where it was re-released in 2007 for its 10th anniversary. The year 2017 marked the 20th anniversary of the Air Max 97. Nike marked the occasion by releasing many colorways and collaborations. In March 2021, musician

Lil Nas X Montero Lamar Hill (born April 9, 1999), known by his stage name Lil Nas X ( ), is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He rose to prominence with the release of his country rap single " Old Town Road", which first achieved viral popula ...

collaborated with viral marketing company MSCHF to release "

Satan Shoes Satan Shoes were a series of custom Nike Air Max 97 shoes, created in 2021 as a collaboration between musician Lil Nas X and MSCHF, an art collective. Their design and marketing gained controversy through prominent satanic imagery. Nike, Inc. ...

", which were black Nike Air Max 97 shoes with satanic theming and created with "1 drop of human blood". The shoes were limited to

666 666 may refer to: * 666 (number) * 666 BC, a year * AD 666, a year * The number of the beast, a reference in the Book of Revelation in the New Testament Places * 666 Desdemona, a minor planet in the asteroid belt * U.S. Route 666, an America ...

pairs, and caused controversy upon release, leading to Nike issuing a lawsuit against MSCHF. MSCHF had previously released "Jesus Shoes", a range of white Air Max 97 shoes which contained "60cc of

holy water Holy water is water that has been blessed by a member of the clergy or a religious figure, or derived from a well or spring considered holy. The use for cleansing prior to a baptism and spiritual cleansing is common in several religions, from ...

from the

River Jordan The Jordan River or River Jordan ( ar, نَهْر الْأُرْدُنّ, ''Nahr al-ʾUrdunn'', he, נְהַר הַיַּרְדֵּן, ''Nəhar hayYardēn''; syc, ܢܗܪܐ ܕܝܘܪܕܢܢ ''Nahrāʾ Yurdnan''), also known as ''Nahr Al-Shariea ...

Air Max Day

March 26 has been officially declared by Nike as ''Air Max Day''. First launched by Nike in 2014, Nike wanted to highlight the popularity of the Nike Air Max.

References

External links

* {{Nike, Inc., state=collapsed Nike brands Products introduced in 1997 Shoes Sneaker culture