Revisiting Ben Drury’s Nike Air Max 1 “Hold Tight”

During 2006 Nike was celebrating the ultimate evolution for the Air Max lineup, the first year of full-length un-caged air units. To celebrate the Air Max 360, the brand created special collaboration packs including the “Air-U-Breathe” artist pack. The artists who were asked to be part of the special collaboration included a special Air Stab from artist Hitomi Yokoyama, a Air Max 360 from Kevin Lyons and, the most popular part, the Air Max 1 from Ben Drury.

For his part, Drury took inspiration from his hometown of London. Specifically, radio waves coming from the towers in the city. Executing his design meant creating a premium version of the classic runner that is more sought after now then it was when it released in 2006. The premium tag meant that the runner was created with the best materials in the Nike catalog. Perforated black leather is used on the toebox along with the ankle and tongue while smooth leather is on the side panel and Swoosh. The heel and toe panel get a touch of suede. The biggest addition is the usage of real (bright) 3M Scotchlite reflective material on the mudguard and tongue.

Another unique feature on the special colorway is the removal of logos on the heel and tongue. The heel is where we see radio waves added and the phrase “HOLD TIGHT” added onto the tongue. Special printed insoles were included also. A detail often overlooked in the simple black, grey, and white colorway is the black air unit and painted air window. The simple colorway’s details is where the Air Max 1 shines (literally). A tough sneaker to find nowadays, what’s even harder to find is the matching windbreakers featuring the same radio wave graphics.