The 5 Year Anniversary of the Parra x Patta Nike Air Max 1

Words and Photography by: Kevin Miles

Anyone who knows me is aware of my love for Air Max 1s. At one point in time, I had over 120 unique pairs. My love for sneakers has chilled over the years, but my love for this particular pair is still as strong as ever. Late 2009, Patta was celebrating its five-year anniversary with a set of five Air Max 1s. Each one that dropped was progressively better, but everyone was waiting on the crown jewel.

The release date was March 13, 2010. Now I’m from a Midwestern town, so I knew it was going to be an aftermarket cop for me. Nike only released 248 pairs in major spots worldwide. I peeped the pics from everyone across the world and wished I could’ve been in Amsterdam that morning. I thought to myself over and over that I had to have them.

I stayed heavy on the internet the next couple of months – eBay, FlightClub, Sole Collector, NikeTalk, RIF, you name it, I was checking for it. I thought I had a pair on eBay but lost a last second auction. I also thought I locked down a pair on FlightClub over a weekend and found it was already sold. I was losing hope and the price was going up and up. Luckily, at the beginning of September, FlightClub finally had a size 12 for about $800. I moved quickly and very soon had my equivalent of a grail. When I got them, I was amazed with the quality and detail. The satin interior, chenille swoosh, burgundy suede….

The shoes have been a source of pride since I’ve owned them. If I ever decide to let rest of my sneakers go, these would probably be the last to go even though they could’ve commanded the most. Any photo shoot I’ve been a part of, these are usually my go-to shoe to rock.