Classics Revisited: Nike Air Trainer Max ’91

The Nike Cross Trainer was designed as the ultimate shoe for the multi-dimensional, dual-sport athlete. Bo Jackson was a force in two sports that demanded different sets of athletic prowess, and he was consequently viewed as the prototypical cross-trainer. Nike and Bo Jackson teamed up to market Cross Training shoes to a generation in which universal sport culture was growing; After the wide success of the Nike Air Trainer 1 and the Nike Trainer SC (Strength Conditioning), Cross Trainers created a considerable amount of momentum for Nike, as other prominent athletes such as Barry Sanders and Jerry Rice were brought onto the Nike Cross Training team. And with the ‘Just Do It’ slogan becoming the battle-cry for athletes around the globe, cross training revolutionized physical fitness and became a sport in itself.

The Nike Air Trainer Max ’91 was just one of the many impressive Minnesota from the iconic Nike Trainer legacy of that era; it featured the runner-friendly outsole with an thick durabuck upper with a design fit for work at the gym or the open field, satisfying the demands of a true cross-trainer shoe. The Nike Air Trainer Max ’91 also featured a crossed in-step strap, taking the Trainer strap to a new level, and a uniquely padded neoprene tongue and ankle support. The Air Trainer Max ’91 was superb in design and performance and was a worthy heir to the Nike Trainer Legacy, and with the re-emergence of Nike Training in the 21st Century and an upcoming retro of this original grey/maize/black/white colorway arriving in Fall 2010, the Nike Air Trainer Max ’91 is one classic that should rightfully be revisited.