The running joke throughout Tim Duncan’s Hall-Of-Fame career was his lack of flash on the court; but you don’t earn the title of “The Big Fundamental” with dynamic play. You earn that nickname with meticulous attention to detail and consistency. Call him boring, call him unexciting… just be sure to call him a legend too.
Tim’s basketball skills stuck to the basics but his kick game was out of hand when he entered the league and signed with Nike. The Number 1 overall pick from the 1997 Draft was an early adopter of various Foamposite lines like the Air Foamposite Pro and Air Flightposite but no foam is more closely associated with Timmy D than 1998’s Total Air Foamposite Max. The Nike Total Air Foamposite Max is the mastodon of Foams – they’re literally huge. As the name suggests, the ‘TAFM’ uses full-length, external Air Max for a royally plush feel under foot. The use of Foamposite throughout the upper gives the shoe a sleek and futuristic look and an lenticular branding jewel rests on the ankle for an unmistakable look (such an iconic, beautiful, branding design). The mixing of Foamposite and external Air made the “Duncan Foams” insanely heavy… they’re like the Timberlands of Nike Basketball. There hasn’t been a retro of these beauties in their original siver/black colorway (Spurs colors) since 2011’s Holiday Season and there’s no word of a pending retro – we just wanted to show those loud ‘ting some love.
Black nubuck along the eyestay, and ballistic mesh around the collar gives the dominantly silver kicks some much needed contrast. The ‘TAFM’s wide array of classic Nike technology didn’t come cheap when they retro’ed in 2011 with a staggering $225 price tag (that’s intense for a niche model). 
Young Timmy was on his drip walk in the TAFMs. Karl looks shook in the pic above, he could see what Duncan’s potential.
Poster boy.
Aaron Nojima
Sneaker History
Mike Guillory