The 2000’s in sneakers was a much different time then how sneakers were perceived today. One of the popular trends that had its time in the spotlight was the usage of clear panels. From the first in ESPO’s Air Force II to the Air Force 1’s and plenty of fakes. Apparently someone within the CLOT contingent loved this as their first Nike Air Max 1 collaboration featured translucent plastic panels.
The “Kiss of Death” Air Max 1 from CLOT released in 2006 and was unlike anything ever seen on a Nike runner-up to that point. The CLOT’s first take at the iconic runner wasn’t an overnight project though. It was a couple of years in the works, with samples going back and forth between the team at Beaverton and in China. But the long wait was worth it as the sneaker turned out to be one of the most recognizable Air Max 1’s ever made mostly due in part to the clear paneling, but it had plenty of other features that are notable. The base comes in the form of a no-liner version of the runner, not the most popular choice but a different one. The upper’s consisted of a few different materials, besides the clear plastic. This includes the more common choice of suede with the less commonly seen snakeskin and ostrich.
CLOT was inspired by traditional Chinese medicine and from “Chi,” the spiritual energy the Chinese feel flows in everything. But the energy did not influence the color choices which consisted of the neutral Net base with Orange Blaze as the secondary color and Blaze Red as the main accent. Other special details added are the CLOT logo added onto the heel. The insoles of the sneakers feature an image of the foot’s pressure points while the translucent outsole being an image of the foot. So popular that CLOT and Nike have collaborated on many models since these released in 2006 but the Air Max 1’s are the most sought after.
