Nike Air Max Sunder

Air Max Sunder

In 1999, Nike’s Alpha Project was launched. Its aim was to work with athletes to solve performance issues through footwear design. This led to several innovative shoes, but one in particular stood out: the Air Max Sunder.

Pushing the boundaries of both form and function, the Nike Air Max Sunder contained a full-length Phylon foam midsole with visible Air in both forefoot and heel below a stretchy Lycra upper with a zip-fastening system at its centre and nubuck mudguards swooping around the sides. Reflective TPR panels with circular perforations were set into each flank, and further ringlets adorned the toe in reference to the Alpha Project’s five-dotted logo.

This eccentric build was made even more eye-catching as the release colourway was decorated in a striking golden yellow shade, which saw it become popular both for its athletic performance and its one-of-a-kind style. However, after a couple of years, the brand moved on to other silhouettes and the Sunder faded away.

After a wait of over twenty years, luxury fashion label Comme des Garçons brought the millennial silhouette back to life in a classy 2022 collaboration. They crafted three sophisticated black and white colourways without the reflective panels or embossed details of the original. This minimalist look gave the collection a captivating elegance, and each shoe was highly sought-after, leading to a broader revival of the Air Max Sunder model.

On its full return in 2024, the shoe had a new name: the Nike Air Max SNDR. Unlike the CDG collaboration, its design stayed true to the original and came in three vibrant colourways, including one which was a retro of the Canyon Gold edition from 1999. A Gore-Tex model followed alongside more colourways as the SNDR appealed to the gorpcore trend and the contemporary nostalgia for vintage sneakers. Before long, other creatives took an interest in the silhouette, with American label Kids Of Immigrants designing a distinctively stylish collaborative edition.

Despite being separated by a quarter of a century, the two releases of the Nike Air Max Sunder have both been popular in their own way. The first was chosen for its practical, sporty build, the second for its powerful retro appeal, but each was beloved as they had the captivating look that has set the SNDR apart from all other sneakers.