The First Colourway of every Nike Silhouette

Every sneaker has a story, but nothing captivates the imagination quite like the very first chapter. In this blog, we dive into the origins of iconic Nike silhouettes, exploring the inaugural colorways that set the stage for decades of sneaker culture. From the pioneering spirit of the original Air Jordans to the vibrant debut of the Nike Dunks, join us as we trace the lineage and lasting impact of these legendary kicks.

1. Nike Air Max 1 - The True OG

The one who began it all. Tinker Hatfield, the famed designer, developed the Nike Air Max 1, which was released in 1987. Air has been utilised before the Air Max 1, but it was always buried beneath foam. Inspired by a trip to Paris and a visit to the Pompidou Centre, Hatfield returned to Oregon with his views on the glass building: "Maybe we could also expose the Air-Sole technology and create a shoe that's unlike any other." The rest is history. The variant you see above was not really named any colourway, it was just the Air Max 1, but this radiant shade of red, would go on to be named as “Infrared”

2. Nike Dunk Low - Be True to Your School

No one would have ever imagined the success of the Nike Dunk when it first hit our shelves in 1985. With yet another functional design bagged into Nike’s basketball lineage, the brand decided to endorse seven of the most elite teams in the NCCA to the Nike Dunk including the University of Michigan, Kentucky, Iowa, Georgetown, Syracuse, St. Johns, and Villanova. Marketing this all-new high-rise leather design under the ‘Be True to Your School’ campaign which offered each Division I team their own team colourway. Nike's genius marketing tactic created fanfare around the Nike Dunk. College players loved it; fans wanted to buy it, creating this loyalty scheme that generated hype for each basketball team.

3. Air Jordan 1 High - Banned Bred

Ah of course the Banned Breds. By now most of you must know of this infamous fact of the first Jordans, but lemme reinforce the marketing genius behind this colourway. Basically, back in 1985, the NBA had some rules regarding a certain percentage of white colour to be mandated for sneakers, and Nike challenged the same by launching this version of Bred sneakers under the helm of Michael Jordan, the rising star at the time. The sneakers got banned by the NBA, when they got announced, Nike saw this as an opportunity as a Marketing gimmick and used the ‘Banned’ tag to market it to the mass audiences outside just Basketball. The rest is history.

4. Air Jordan 3

Released in 1988, the Air Jordan 3 was the first design by Tinker Hatfield in his three decades of collaboration with the Jordan legacy. From this partnership, Tinker crafted the now-iconic elephant print. Legendary in namesake and offering a new lane for court design, the Jordan 3 had a dream debut on the big stage. The White Cement colourway was first seen on Michael Jordan’s feet in his 50 point pioneering performance at the All star slam dunk contest. Revered for its state-of-the-art design that not only served comfort on the courts but became a larger franchise amongst sneaker buffs.To this day, the AJ3 remains one of the most notable sneaker silhouettes worldwide.

5. Air Jordan 4

The introductory Jordan era was just something else, giving a destiny filled story to each and every new Jordan release. In the 1988-89 playoffs in the game between Cavs and Bulls, Mochael Jordan snatched a victory at the ckosing stage of the game with “The Shot”. And guess what he wore that day for the first time- A Nike Air Jordan 4. The first worldwide release of the Air Jordan 4 OG came out in four different colorways. Namely 'Fire Red', 'Black Cement/Bred', 'White Cement' and 'Military Blue'. This shoe was also the first from the line to have the familiar large areas of mesh. Another notable feature was the Nike Air Logo on the heel. This referred to the way MJ played with gravity. Today, the Air Jordan 4 is more than just a basketball shoe; it's a symbol of cultural significance and design innovation.

6. Nike Air Force 1

Before the AF-1 was released, basketball shoes were about as basic as they come. A few converses here and there, but nothing special or utile about them. Upon the AF-1's release in late October 1982, Nike announced that the shoes cushioned shock 30 percent better and were 20 percent more resilient than a standard shoe. Once players took them to the court, rode in them and looked at that inventive look of the swoosh, they fell in love. Interestingly the first ever Air Force 1 which got released was a High top with a strap and a pretty monochrome white sneaker with silver/grey highlights. It was on.y after 1985, that this sneaker ventured into lifestyle fashion and the lows and other bolder colourways gained traction.

7. Nike Air Max 90

Besides the og Air Max, the Air Max 90 is one such shoe, which has persevered in the limelight over the years and its simplistic yet fashion-forward design is sure to stay over the future as well. "The shoe that looked fast" was the feedback when people saw the Air Max 90 for the first time. Designer Tinker Hatfield took inspiration from the 1987 Air Max and 1989 Air Max Light and brought to life a shoe that is considered as iconic as the first. Launching in 1990, this shoe became the second flagship sneaker of the Air Max legacy, following the Air Max 1. This too was released in the same red highlights as the Air Max 1, the “Infrared”.