We have returned to the Air Max 90 once again for our latest attempt at creating our own sneaker concept, this time taking on the challenge of mixing the shoe’s heritage with a dark and stormy theme. Whilst it is a tricky concept to pull off, we are very happy with our outcome and hope you will be too. So, if that interests you, check out the concept above and read more about its creation below.

First off, our concept starts with a dark navy-blue leather and mesh upper, with the navy blue carrying onto the laces and tongue. A volt yellow color is then used for the highlights on the Nike Swoosh, leather eyestay overlay, lining and the TPU accents dotted around the sneaker. Lastly on the upper, the Nike branding on said TPU accents is then covered in the original dark navy color. The sole on the sneaker is no different, as we opted to keep the midsole dark navy, except for around the air bubble, which is in volt yellow, along with the outsole, which too comes in volt yellow. 

For our shoe, we wanted to combine the shocking (no pun intended) imagery of a thunderstorm, and its links to ideas of speed and power, with a popular 90’s runner, and its brightly accented style. In doing so, we chose to reflect the strikes of lightning using volt accents on the TPU panels, that also added the neon brightness, and pop of color that Air Max 90s so often featured to our concept. The darker blues were then able to represent the sky whilst offering a stark contrast with the volt detailing, really bringing out the accented parts of the shoe, and it its theme.

The outcome is a lifestyle model, that is reminiscent of running shoes of old, which we think would be well suited for the winter. Its dark upper should hide any scuffs and marks, and the model has enough durability and structure to withstand the worst weather. So, our thunderstorm themed shoe may even be the most fitting shoe to wear during a thunderstorm! We think our shoes would look great in conjunction with other bright colors, such as some bright shorts or leggings, and some other strikingly colored active wear. A Boca Juniors football jersey in particular would be ideal for a color coordinated sporty outfit.