Sometimes, an iconic pair of shoes winds up in a museum — like Dorothy’s sparkling red heels from The Wizard of Oz on display at The Smithsonian. And sometimes, a museum inspires an iconic pair of shoes.

In the 1980s, Nike shoe designer Tinker Hatfield was tasked with finding a way to display the brand’s ground-breaking Air technology from the outside of the sneaker.

As the lore goes:

“Nike sent Tinker to Paris for design inspiration. Paris is a city known for luxurious, gold buildings, but it would be a different type of building that got Tinker’s attention: the Centre Pompidou [museum]. The Centre Pompidou is unique because it’s designed like it’s inside-out. You can see everything from the outside: the heating, the ventilation, the escalators, even the pipes are on the outside and painted in bright colors.”

centre pompidou centre pompidou
Centre Pompidou, image: Getty

The trip worked. Tinker went back to Nike HQ and came up with a way to cut away some of the midsole to expose the airbag, and in 1987, the Air Max 1 was born. The cushioning system has been on display ever since in the instantly classic sneaker.

In honor of Air Max Day, Team SG curated a week’s worth of looks featuring the stylish shoe.

Keep scrolling for Nike Air Max 1 outfits for men

presented by nikepresented by nike

Look 1: Sweater vest with chinos

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get the look

SG Says: Army green works as both a neutral and a pop of color in this wear-everywhere outfit.

RELATED: Nike Blazer Outfits for Men

Look 2: Surplus pants with a chore coat

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get the look

SG Says: A touch of lavender in the sneakers and the t-shirt keep this casual outfit coordinated (but not matchy-matchy).

Look 3: sophisticated sweatsuit

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get the look

SG Says: No shame in the sweatsuit game when it looks as good as this!

Look 4: Vintage jeans with a polo

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get the look

SG Says: Swap the faded jeans for twill pants or chinos to instantly dress this look up.

Look 5: Shorts!

air max outfit 1 men with shortsair max outfit 1 men with shorts

get the look

SG Says: Sunny sky’s out, thighs out.

Shop Nike Air Max 1 sneakers

Nike Air Max 1, $140
Nike Air Max 1 SC, $150
Nike Air Max 1 Premium, $160
Nike Air Max 1 ’86 OG G golf shoe, $160
Nike Air Max 1 Premium “Escape”, $160
Nike Air Max 1 Premium, $160


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