For this year's Air Max Day on March 26, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Tinker Hatfield and Mark Parker, the trio of design savants behind the Nike sub-label HTM, have each redefined a different Air Max style with their own unique sensibility. Lapstone & Hammer is honored to be one of the few stores in the country, and the ONLY store in Philadelphia, to receive this amazing collection that releases on Saturday.
First up is Fragment Design founder and longtime Nike collaborator, Hiroshi Fujiwara, and his HTM Air Max LD-Zero H. Seeking to "create something that would resonate with people interested in classic style," Fujiwara based the nylon and suede upper on the old Nike Boston, the predecessor to the LD-1000. Fusing the old with the new, he chose a full-length Air Max sole similar to the kind used on the latest Air Max releases as the base. Using the timeless color combination of navy and white adds to the overall classic aesthetic of the design.
Legendary Nike Designer and VP of Creative Concepts, Tinker Hatfield, retools one of his most famous creations with the HTM Air Max 90 Ultra Superfly T. Never one to rest on his laurels, Hatfield stated about this project that, "if I'm asked to redo an Air Max, I'm going to change it. I'm going to give it some additional technology." Here he adds the collar and fused Flyknit upper from the Mercurial Superfly to the original Air Max 90 silhouette, completely changing its performance. Hatfield also used Ultra technology to core out the midsole to make the shoe lighter and further increase its performance. About the only simple thing on this sneaker is its red/white/blue/black color palette, which Hatfield says was inspired by France and the United States, and their respective flags.
Finally there is Nike president and CEO Mark Parker's riff on the Air Max BW Classic, the HTM Air Max Ultra M. Parker sought to adapt the hard, clean lines of the BW's upper by using premium leather and Jaquard knit to "create distinct areas in a softer way, using a gradient, pixelated effect." Reaching back to some of his previous designs like the Vector, Vengeance and Vortex, Parker wanted to evoke the cut and sew design of the 1980s runners, but in a modern context. The original deep royal and white color pattern of the BW is brought back, as is the big window on the midsole that gave the shoe its name. Here though, Parker also uses Ultra technology to core out the midsole for a an ultralight, ultra comfortable feel.
These three shoes will only be available in our 1106 Chesnut St. store in Philadelphia on Saturday morning, March 26.
