story

The Air Max Plus, aka the TN - conceived by Sean McDowell using inspiration from dawn sunlight, palm trees and a whale tail - became an icon most popular on the pavements of the UK, France and Australia when it dropped in 1998.

Originally released in just two colourways, Hyper Blue and Lunar Blue - the latter yet to make a return - the earliest Air Max Plus iterations set the pace for what was to become one of the most collectable silhouettes in Nike’s pantheon.

Performance met premium craftsmanship when the Air Max Plus got its first leather treatment back in 1999; adding a classy, luxury touch to a shoe that was at the cutting edge of technology at the time. This was a US exclusive.

Known colloquially as the Grids, this collection was gradually released over the span of a few years, with the ‘cherry’ and ‘lime’ colourways becoming the rarest and most sought-after of them all. 

The 2000 Sydney Games provided the inspiration for two of the most coveted pairs of Air Max Plus. Collectors all over the world searched high and low to get their hands on this highly decorated duo. 

This US- and Japan-only version of the Air Max Plus, with its full-denim upper and stitched cage, was the first of its kind and wasn’t a hit at the time, but the shoe eventually became a grail to those in the know. 

Another first in the world of the Air Max Plus became known as the ‘Gasoline’ TN. The vinyl upper’s iridescent finish influenced the nickname of this Air Max Plus fan favourite.

Inside The Vault

Air Max Plus (TN)