Air Max 2090 Review – From The View of A Shoe Enthusiast
Based on the original Air Max 90, this shoe has taken a new entity entirely. Although the look is still very similar to the classic Air Max 90, the 2090 comes full force with a more edgy modernized look. While the original Air Max was designed with exercise and athletics in mind, this sneaker is typically going to be more of a lifestyle sneaker.
With that in mind, it’s important to note that this shoe comes in a wide variety of colorway options and is really a fashion statement. Nike has been in the process of making athletics a part of lifestyle fashion by bringing comfort from the gym directly into your everyday outfits. This has benefitted millions.
If you’re looking for footwear that’s comfortable and realistic for walking outdoors, light jogs, or long days on your feet, then this is definitely the shoe for you. Fully equipped with Nike Air technology, this shoe will be comfortable all day. Also, because it comes with strong durability, the shoe should last more than a few years.
Nike Air Max 2090 AKA 90 – History
The iconic Air Max sneaker comes in a variety of options that have been modified over the years to fit consumer wishes. The Air Max 2090 is the timeless OG that we know of as the Air Max 90. This shoe has been carried through our culture and cultures around the world for three decades. Yep, you read that right, 30 years!
The sneaker that started it all back in 1990 became Nike’s biggest seller after the Air Max 1. Coming in hot with its very own color scheme created by Tinker Hatfield was quickly made monumental and became very popular. The Infrared colorway was integrated into many of the future releases we came to know and love.
Not only was this shoe designed using an absolutely beautiful colorway, but it was also one of the first shoes on the market to significantly display the Nike Air technology.
Alright, that’s probably enough information on a sneaker of the past; let’s get to the present. This needed to be discussed in order to fully understand the significance of the Air Max 2090. Nike’s Air Max 90 really helped bring the Air technology to life and to the Nike population. Thanks to the Classic Air Max sneakers, the Air technology has literally become the timeless OG of the sneaker industry.
What Exactly is Nike Air Technology?
Nike Air Technology is really something that some of us might be familiar with, without even knowing we’re familiar with it. Ever see those bubbles of air in the soles of your shoe? If you don’t know what those bubbles are referring to, go look at some sneakers and see if you can find them. Find it? If not, that’s okay. Trust us, there’s more. If you did find it, well, let’s learn exactly what it is.
Originally introduced to Nike by Marion Franklin Rudy in the late 60s this technology was actually not the easiest to make happen. While Rudy may have originally had the idea of “placing tiny airbags in the soles of athletic shoes to soften the impact” back in the 60s, the first shoe using this plan didn’t actually come out until the late 70s! This seems a bit crazy, considering how popular it quickly became. Rudy had “pitched his innovation to 23 shoe companies; all rejected him” before Nike’s co-founder Phil Knight sucked the idea right in and created the first prototype in 1977. The first shoe using the Nike Air Technology was brought to the market in 1978.
Why is the Nike Air technology so important to this specific shoe? Well, this shoe was made in the 90s, when Nike Air technology was on its top game. The original Nike Air Max 90 was definitely a piece of fashion, and the original sneaker was priced at $110.00, which was A LOT during that time frame.
Fast forward 30 years and this shoe continues to be popular and created with Nike Air Technology. Although, as with all else, the shoe has made some improvements as it strays away from its timeless OG partner. The Air unit in this shoe actually is a bit larger and has a bigger window according to Nike themselves: “The Air Max 2090 employs a larger Air unit than its originator, with a 200 percent larger window than traditional side-visibility Air units seen 30 years ago”. Why is this a good thing? Well, as mentioned before, the Air Units act as tiny little airbags, keeping impact light and comfortable. With a larger air unit, the impact of the foot touching the ground is bound to be bouncier and more graceful, while the larger window gives off the look of the Air Unit advocating for the fashion side of this sneaker.
Comfort
Now that we have a pretty basic understanding of how the Air technology works, we can better understand the level of comfort provided by this shoe. With the large air unit, the shoe was made to be extremely comfortable.
In the past, Air Maxes normally didn’t hit the comfort aspect directly. They didn’t hold up to other Nike options, like the Air Jordan sneaker or the Air Force One sneaker. That doesn’t necessarily apply here. This shoe was designed with comfort in mind. Both the air units and foam work extremely well together, making it a surprisingly comfortable shoe.
According to Florina, a sneaker blogger from Austria, her Nike Air Max 2090s “are amongst one of the most comfortable Nike silhouettes; I can wear them all day long.” Coming from someone who definitely knows what she’s talking about, take into consideration that these shoes are considered to be really comfortable even to people who literally rate shoes for a living!
Size and Fit
The Nike Air Max 2090 generally is considered true-to-size. With that in mind, it’s important to really understand your feet and how they’re shaped. If you believe your feet to be a bit wider and your shoes often feel a bit too snug, then it’s probably best to go a half size up. Some reviews stated that these shoes seemed to run a bit narrow. Along with that, since they are made out of many different layers they’re not necessarily super stretchy.
If you’re honestly not sure what size to get it’s always best to buy from a site that has free returns or exchanges. On the other hand, it might be more beneficial to head down to a store and try them on in person. Here is a breakdown of some of the most recommended places for buying your next pair of Nike Air Max 2090s!
Online Shopping:
Just like with anything else, buying sneakers online can be a little bit sketchy. Over the past few decades, there has been a serious growth in the number of counterfeit products sold over the internet. Nike has become an extremely popular brand throughout the entire world, hitting cultures on almost every continent. With that in mind, they are widely counterfeited, and to be honest, the fakes are super good. It’s almost hard to tell which ones are real anymore. Nike themselves stated: “Counterfeiters have become skilled at making convincing knockoffs – so skilled, in fact, it can be hard to spot the fakes.” Therefore, our experts thought it’d be helpful to provide a list of things to watch out for when purchasing Nike sneakers online (and pretty much anything else in that case).
- The Price is Way too Believable
Usually, products like Nike or other popular brands won’t mark them down to anything super crazy low. In that case, if you have stumbled upon a website that has Nike 2090s for $50 or less, it’s most likely counterfeit. Even under $80 can be a bit sketchy. It’s super important to know the actual price and remember that they aren’t usually marked down anything more than or usually even close to 50%.
- Where Is It Shipping From?
It’s super important to understand and know exactly where your shoes are shipping from. On most third-party websites, it should say the address it’s shipping from. This is important, as most Nike counterfeit shoes delivered come from a shipping address somewhere in China. Nike shoes shouldn’t be shipping from China, as it’s a United States-based company.
In fact, Nike recently sued over 600 Chinese counterfeit companies for creating and selling sneakers on the web. The Fashion Law gives us a little insight into how that lawsuit went down: “After none of the 600-plus China-based counterfeiter’s names in Nike’s complaint responded or showed up in court to defend themselves, a New York federal court sided with Nike, issuing a default judgment.” From this, a good takeaway is that if the United States court system can’t get China-based counterfeiters to show up, it’s evident that you might have some issues returning your sneakers.
- Check the Labelling
If you have found a website that looks legit and doesn’t give something totally strange like 60% off, then there’s only one way to make sure that they’re going to sell you real, authentic Nike sneakers. Check the label. Now, how exactly would you check the label before buying the shoes? It’s easy! Simply ask the seller to send you pictures of the labels both on the box and on the shoe itself. Verified.org tells us that you can “ask any seller if the product comes with original packaging, tags, and labels if you’re unsure.”
We have all seen a shoebox before, and on the side of the box is a sticker that tells different key details about the shoe. On an authentic Nike box, there will be the size of the shoe, color, name, and country that which it was manufactured in. There will also be a style number, this number should be nine digits long. if it’s not, be careful. Honestly, being able to spot the difference between counterfeit and real Nikes can literally be down to the absolute smallest detail. That’s how intense these counterfeit industries have become in creating their own Nike sneakers. Check out this video if you need more details on how to spot counterfeit Nike Air Max 2090 sneakers. If you have come to the conclusion that your Nikes are indeed fake, contact Nike to report potential counterfeits.
Alright now that we have a basic understanding of what to watch out for when online shopping for a new pair of Nikes, let’s take a look at the different places where it is safe to shop.
Nike themselves will always guarantee a real, genuine pair of sneakers. Shopping directly on their website will ease your mind of any outside worries. Also, as an added bonus, Nike members will receive free shipping on any purchase.
StockX is a very cool online platform that allows users to buy and sell sneakers. With growing popularity over the past few years, StockX has even branched out and started to allow users to buy and sell other accessories as well. Through StockX you can easily bid on your favorite products and hope you give the highest bid.
Yes, everything that comes from StockX is 100% authentic. All items will be checked and assessed by trained professionals working at the StockX factories. These workers will ultimately decide if the shoes are authentic or if they’re fakes. Therefore, if you plan to sell something on StockX, be sure that your sneakers are authentic before shipping them off. Here is a list of products sold on StockX that our shoe enthusiasts thought would be good buys to check out:
Price: $105.00 (last sale)
Price: $74 (last sale)
Price: $120 (last sale)
Price: $149 (last sale)
Amazon is a familiar favorite that offers a wide variety of products. Since it is a third-party and giving sellers the option of selling their own goods, it’s very important to watch out for counterfeit sales here. Shoemastery gives us some advice on how to know if the shoes are authentic or not: “When you choose a size and colorway, it will say the price, and that’s when you can place your order. This is legit, and means you are buying a true sneaker from the original seller.” With that being said, be careful if your size isn’t available, as Amazon may try to redirect you to another seller, which could potentially lead to counterfeit products.
In-Store Shopping
Online shopping has taken all the craze these past few years, but going to a physical store still comes with benefits. Some sneakers advocates swear by heading down to a store and picking out your favorite shoe and making sure the size feels good. This is highly recommended for someone who has feet that don’t always fit the same size, although the Nike Air Max 2090 fits pretty true to size, and it may not be necessary to try them on. We still 100% understand the desire to try them on before buying, so here is a list of two top places to buy your next pair of Nikes.
Foot Locker has become one of Nike’s go-to sales companies for sneakers. Nike has also become one of Foot Locker’s largest brands. This means that it is undoubtedly a trusted retailer that will provide great customer service and a plethora of information about cleaning, taking care of, and buying your next pair of Nikes.
Dick’s Sporting Goods is an obvious favorite for shopping for athletic gear. They offer some of the best gear on the market and have partnered with a variety of top brands, like Nike. Nike and Dick’s Sporting Goods recently merged their loyalty programs. This offers even more benefits: “Exclusive benefits you receive by connected your Dick’s scorecard and Nike Membership account in addition to the benefits you receive from each program individually”.
Conclusion
Buying new sneakers is never easy, but we’re here to make it a bit more enjoyable. Whether you’re shopping for someone else or for yourself, we hope that at this point you know and understand everything you need to about the Nike Air Max 2090s.
Coming full force with a more edgy modernized look compared to its beloved counterpart, the classic Air Max 90, this shoe is sure to be a favorite. Being easy to pair with any outfit and comfortable to last all day, it’s definitely an Air Max model that serves the fashion purpose. This shoe isn’t recommended for running but is a footwear product that is sure to make a statement with the proper choice of colorway to fit your style.
