A lot of shine has been put on the Air Max 1 and Air Max 90 (happy 25th!) as of late and rightfully so. From 1987 to now there have been plenty of other Air Max models that deserve a little more limelight IMO. The Air Classic BW is one of those sneakers. The model was another Tinker Hatfield creation that debuted in 1991, soon after the AM90. The BW name it receives stands for “big window” to describe its large and visible air unit (although purists will argue the “big” claim for current air bags).
The original “Persian” colorway was the most popular but this “Paris” colorway was no slouch. Created to help commemorate 15 years for the BW model, the colors were inspired by the Paris Saint-Germain football club whose colors match the flag of France. The team has been sponsored by Nike since the 1989 season. The inspiration for this sneaker was perfect as European countries, specifically France, have enjoyed the Air Classic BW for many years.
The coloring was a simple affair: Neutral Grey as the base, with red, blue, and black filling in key areas like the mudguard, tongue, and liner. Being a Quickstrike model meant Nike added much nicer mesh and materials to the sneaker. The simple color blocking was a hit with thick red and blue speckling on the midsole to compliment the upper and complete the look. Produced in limited quantities, finding a deadstock pair now is quite the feat.
Aaron Nojima
Robbie Falchi