Air Max Sunder

A radical design project

On New Year’s Day 1999, Nike launched its forward-thinking Alpha Project. Aimed at tackling performance issues with athletic footwear, it involved working closely with the athletes themselves to identify particular problem areas and find ways to improve them. Amongst the many radical designs to come out of this concept was a sporty training shoe with a futuristic look that set it apart from the rest. That shoe was the Nike Air Max Sunder.

Pushing boundaries

The Alpha Project was headed by Global Creative Director Michael Morrow, whose job it was to focus in on key innovations across various Nike models to see where performance could be improved. This approach engendered a certain pushing of the boundaries, both in terms of aesthetics and function, which led to some quite eccentric sneakers. Thanks to its experimental build and striking features, the Air Sunder Max, as it was known back then, was the epitome of this style.

A practical piece of athletic footwear

As depicted in the ‘sport training’ section of popular sportswear catalogue Eastbay, the Sunder was a versatile piece of athletic footwear made for “the athlete preparing to compete in any environment.” Here, it was shown in both mid-top and low-top forms, though the former failed to take hold in the culture, and the low-top was the version that really stood out. Its foundation was a full-length Phylon foam midsole with a large Air Max unit visible in the heel and smaller hexagonal windows revealing the Nike Air held in the forefoot. This winning combination of cushioning materials provided excellent levels of comfort and shock absorption, while underfoot, the geometric tread patterns delivered high-quality traction. The Sunder’s most distinctive feature was its stretchy Lycra upper, which gave the design a clean aesthetic as it presented a smooth surface across the top half of the foot. A zipper with a ring-shaped pull tab was used to secure this layer, while a traditional set of laces could be found tying up the breathable mesh underneath. This two-part design incorporated both a “heel lock fit system” and an “internal fit system” to offer the wearer a snug feeling around the foot and prevent any slippage during exercise sessions. Nubuck leather mudguards encircled the upper and formed an overlay on the back of the shoe, while pull tabs emerged from both tongue and heel for easy on and off. Eye-catching reflective TPR pods were placed atop the leather overlays on each flank, thus illuminating the wearer at night while also producing an intriguing aesthetic that was quite unlike anything else around at the time.

A unique aesthetic

Along with this performance build, the Air Sunder Max had a standout appearance created by the various circular adornments on its outer. The reflective panels were punctuated by ringed perforations, which in turn were echoed by a set of ringlets fused onto the toe and another embossed along the heel overlay. These unique elements referenced the five-dotted logo of the Alpha Project, which was designed by Creative Director of Nike Olympics Ken Black as a way of representing the creative process of the brand’s designers. In line with the Sunder’s minimalist build, the other branding was also delicately composed, with a singular mini swoosh on the lateral flank and nothing on the medial side. An Air Max logo was located in the centre of the outsole, and Air text marked the bottom of the zipper and the heel pull tab, while a tongue patch on the mesh underlayer featured more branding, including a classy embroidered swoosh.

A long wait

When the Air Sunder Max was first released, it was rendered in an array of bright colourways. These tones had just come back into fashion at the end of the decade, and many people were wearing athletic apparel as streetwear, making the Sunder the perfect combination of sport and fashion. As a result, it developed a cult following around the turn of the millennium, but before long Nike turned its focus to other models. For two decades, fans of the design waited for news of a retro, but nothing came. Then, in 2021, luxury Japanese fashion label Comme des Garçons announced a stylish new collaboration with Nike involving a sneaker they were now calling the Air Max Sunder.

The Comme des Garçons collaboration

Comme des Garçons first began working with Nike in 1999 when one of the Japanese label’s top designers, Junya Watanabe, produced his own take on the Nike Zoom Haven. Interestingly, the Haven was part of the same Alpha Project that delivered the Air Sunder Max, making CDG an appropriate choice for the silhouette’s first collaborator. Over the next 22 years, Nike teamed up with Rei Kawakubo’s fashion house on numerous occasions as the two companies developed a strong partnership, and in 2021, they were ready to reveal a new Air Max Sunder. This sophisticated rendition of the 90s training shoe was first put on display during the Spring/Summer 2022 show of the Comme des Garçons Homme Plus line. Entitled ‘The Existence of Flowers’, the event explored the many ways in which flowers are used in human societies, both to celebrate happy occasions and to commemorate sad ones. However, while much of the apparel collection was decorated in floral designs, the shoe itself was not. Instead it came in three understated colourways which employed only white and black tones. Along with this, the upper had been further stripped back from that of the ‘99 original, as the reflective panels were removed and no embossed details were to be seen on the heel overlay. This established a smooth, minimalist aesthetic that gave the Comme des Garçons x Nike Air Max Sunder a captivating elegance. Unfortunately, its limited release, which saw it come out in Japan one year earlier than elsewhere in the world, meant that it was difficult to get hold of, leaving many loyal fans of the Sunder disappointed. This was to be short-lived, though, as the CDG collaboration had sparked powerful memories of the cult 90s sneaker and would soon bring about its magnificent return.

Showcasing the Air Max SNDR

The first information to come out about the retro Air Max Sunder was delivered by Nike at its inaugural SNKRS Showcase in October 2023. Aimed at taking control of the narrative around the brand’s new releases after many forthcoming models had been revealed prematurely on social media, the online event showed off dozens of silhouettes due for release in 2024, most of which had not yet been seen by the general public. Each design was put into one of five categories: Classics, Nike SB City of Love, ACG, Retro and Air Max, with the Sunder being placed in the Air Max Collection as it was reintroduced to the sneaker world with yet another new name: the Air Max SNDR.

Honouring the original

Unlike the Comme des Garçons collaboration, the SNDR stayed true to the ‘99 original, featuring a dual-layered upper of flexible fabric with a zippered opening that revealed the soft mesh beneath. Alongside the embroidered swoosh on the tongue patch were the numbers 6453, which are both the digits that complete the phone number for Nike’s United States office and those that can be used to spell out the company's name on a mobile phone keypad. In another honorary throwback, the box for the newly named sneaker was based on the packaging used for the 1999 release, and the launch colourways also provided a nostalgic reference to the original designs by applying striking tones to the upper. The initial retro colourway to be released was Canyon Gold, its bright upper incorporating a beautiful colour gradient that drifted from golden yellow at the toe to a more vibrant orange at the heel. Shortly after this, two more designs came along: one in a stunning pink known as Fuchsia Flash, the other a lively Electric Green, and the range continued to grow throughout 2024.

A retro look for a modern trend

When the Air Sunder Max came out, it had an avant garde look, but in 2024, with another 25 years of fashion trends behind it, the Air Max SNDR had more of a retro-futurist appeal. Playing on this aesthetic, Nike sent a dog-like robot out onto the streets of Paris for the city’s June fashion week with a specialised version of the SNDR on its feet. Following this, the shoe became popular both amongst a new generation of sneaker enthusiasts who were taken by its forward-thinking aesthetic and fans of the original, who appreciated the 90s charm of its reflective panelling and eccentric upper. It also turned out to be a good option for fans of the contemporary gorpcore look, which favoured wearing clothing traditionally designed for outdoor use as fashionable streetwear. Though not quite as bulky as a pair of hiking boots, the SNDR’s chunky sole unit and practical features meant that it fit into this modern style trend, especially when the Gore-Tex models were released later in the year. On top of this, the use of spongy Air Max cushioning in the sole and the supple but snug-fitting design of the upper made the retro edition a comfortable shoe for everyday wear.

A new partnership

With its comeback fully underway, the Air Max SNDR attracted the attention of other creative entities keen to take on the challenge of designing their own unique version. The first collaboration was announced towards the end of 2024 and involved American fashion brand Kids Of Immigrants, whose aim is to inspire strong community bonds and supportive friendships through stylish clothing that tells a powerful story. KOI stayed true to the original silhouette in many ways, keeping its Air Max sole unit and zippered shroud. From here, the brand’s designers added a dynamic overlay of TPU webbing in place of the usual panelling, thus making their collaborative sneaker a bold new take on the reinvigorated SNDR.

A cult classic

Nike’s ambitious Alpha Project was responsible for many stunning sneakers, but few managed to achieve the cult status of the Air Max Sunder. Practical and sporty, it had a one-of-a-kind look that proved to be as distinctive in 2024 as it was in 1999, and despite almost a quarter of a century away from the spotlight, it continues to attract new fans to this day. While the refined, luxurious styling of the Comme des Garçons collaboration showed a different side to the Sunder, it is the classic construction of the original that has driven its modern popularity and ensured its place in sneaker history.