If there’s one iconic line of sneakers you should know about, it’s Nike’s Air Max line. Inspired by many different designers and developed with many years of rich history, the Air Max line continues to evolve. One of the newest releases in the Nike Air Max line is the inception of the Nike VaporMax EVO. There’s a lot to uncover with this release, so keep reading to find out more about the history of the Air Max line, the inspiration behind the VaporMax EVO, the different colorways of the EVO, and where you can get a pair. 

The History Of The Air Max Line

With many releases of different Air Max sneakers before this one, let’s look at the rich history behind the entire Air Max Line by diving into some of its most iconic releases. 

The Nike Tailwind

The Nike Tailwind’s release in 1978 was Nike’s first attempt at adding cushioning and additional comfort to their sneakers. And it wasn’t even Nike that thought of the idea. An aeronautical engineer for NASA, Frank Rudy approached Nike about adding cushioned soles to their shoes. Nike ended up being pleasantly surprised with the concept. To test it out, Nike released a selective portion to runners of the Honolulu Marathon in 1978 before releasing them to the public as part of the Air Max family in 1979. 

The Air Max 1

1987 was the first official year Nike added air cushioning technology to their sneakers. The Air Max 1 was designed by renown Nike architect Tinker Hatfield in 1986, where he brought the idea to Nike for Nike’s approval. After making finishing touches on the sneaker, it was released the following year. There were two original colorways for the Air Max 1 sneaker, one being blue and one being red. What Nike didn’t know was how much this shoe would make an influence on further releases.

The Air Max 90

By the time 1990 rolled around, the Air Max 90 was released. There were many new features added to the sneaker, one of the most notable being the addition of a larger portion of Nike’s signature air cushioning technology. Other minor details included different side panel designs and how high the shoe was cut. The Air Max 90 saw the release of the iconic Infrared colorway, which is now one of Nike’s most famous and well known color choices in the sneaker industry. 

 

The Air Max 95

The Air Max 95, as you may have guessed, was released in 1995. It was designed by industrial Nike designer Sergio Lozano, who’s background was heavily influenced by tennis shoes and other training shoes. The Air Max 95’s most notable change was the shoe’s design itself. With the added distinction of the ripple design in a gradient gray color and neon accents, this shoe was made specifically with runners in mind. It also featured many different air cushioned bubbles throughout the midsole and heel of the shoe. 

 

The Air Max 97

Released in 1997, the Air Max 97 is another one of the most influential releases of the Air Max family. This shoe brought almost complete coverage on the outsole of the air cushioning technology, along with significant design changes. Christian Tresser is the designer behind this shoe, and he drew inspirations from the way water ripples in a pond. He named the original colorway Silver Bullet, which was representative of metal finishes on BMX bikes. These ideas can be clearly seen on the shoe itself and were exceptionally well translated with a grey color throughout the upper and other parts of the shoe. The grey color changed, which was even more representative of the iconic pond ripple design.

 

The Air Max 360

The release of the Nike Air Max 360 in 2006 brought a full 360 degrees of visible air cushioning technology on the shoe. Additionally, the air bubble was see through, allowing fans and consumers to see the infrastructure of the shoe through the air bubble. Another factor appealing to fans was that it was very lightweight, making it a great option for runners and basketball players. The OG Air Max 360 featured a white mesh upper with accents of red lying just above the midsole. 

 

The Nike Air Vapormax

Fast forward to 2017, and we have the release of the Nike Air Vapormax. After being designed for more than 7 years, this sneaker is one of the most anticipated sneakers that Nike has ever released. The Vapormax is one of the lightest sneakers on the market, and will have you feeling like you’re not even wearing shoes. Originally made with a flyknit material and air cushioning around the entire outside of the sneaker, it was a very comfortable model once broken in properly. It also had a textured bottom that allowed runners to run on many different types of running conditions. The Nike Air Vapormax was released in six original colorways: asphalt, OG, pale grey, cookies and cream, triple black, and pure platinum. 

 

The Air Max 2090

The Air Max 2090 was released in the spring of 2020. This sneaker draws heavy inspirations from the original Air Max 90, with a futuristic touch added to it. Its silhouette features the OG Air Max 90’s mudguard, cassette, and heel logo. New features include a different style of air unit, color blocking, flexibility, and a fresh look to the Nike Swoosh. This sneaker looks like it is from the future yet pays homage to the incredible roots of the Air Max line. 

The Nike Vapormax EVO

The release of the Nike Vapormax EVO in 2021 was also one of the most iconic releases of the Nike Air Max line that sneakerheads have ever seen. This shoe was released to pay homage to and celebrate the past models of Air Max sneakers. This is even reflected in the shoes name, with the EVO part standing for “Evolution of Icons”. The colorways of this sneaker incorporates 7 Nike icons from the past, and does so in a sophisticated yet modern way that’s not too busy for the human eye to look at. To date, there are 14 different colorways of the Nike Vapormax EVO released. Now we’ll look at some of the most popular colorways of the Vapormax EVO.

 

Different VaporMax EVO Colorways

There are a ton of fabulous colorways that the Nike Vapormax EVO was released in, so let’s take a look at some of them! *Note: There are many different colorways of the Nike Vapormax EVO. We’re taking a look at some of the most iconic colorways from the release*.

The Black Colorway

You can never go wrong with all black. And that’s exactly what Nike thought too, when they released the Vapormax EVO. Every detail of this sneaker is black, from the upper, to the tongue, to the midsole, and even the Nike swoosh and air cushioning unit. This sneaker is perfect for you for someone looking to add an all-black shoe to their collection and still feel like they have a piece of history with 7 air max styles.

The Air Max Day Mashup Colorway

The Air Max Day Mashup colorway of the Vapormax EVO is another one of our top picks for the different EVO colorways. As you may have been able to guess, this sneaker is a mashup of some of the most iconic Air Max sneakers that have been released by Nike. Throughout the shoe, you’ll be able to spot different designs from these past sneakers that are some of the most notable in Nike’s history:

• Apollo 11 on the mid panel
• Duck Camo on portions of the upper and quarter paneling
• Silver Bullet in the designs by the laces and Nike swoosh
• Pony Pack on the eye stay and front-quarter panel

This Air Vapormax EVO also sports a white/clear colored air cushioning unit all around the shoe. If you want to try to buy a pair of these sneakers, you’ll probably want to set aside some money for them, as they’re highly sought after despite them being released just last year. 

The Anthracite/Tech Grey/Midnight Navy Colorway

This colorway is another unique release in the Air Vapormax EVO line. There are many colors incorporated into this sneaker, including anthracite (which is a dark grey), tech grey (which is a lighter grey), midnight navy, orange, and red. This may be a lot to digest, but the colors all work in a way to be able to display the 7 Nike icon shoe designs correctly without being too overwhelming. The anthracite can be seen on portions of the bottom, upper, side paneling, and around the ankle and tongue of the shoe. Tech grey is featured in accents of the heel, toe box, and Nike swoosh. All other colors make up a gradient scheme across portions of the mudguard and other places on the shoe. 

The White/White Grey Colorway

The White/White Grey Colorway offers a refreshing monotone theme to the Air Vapormax EVO sneaker. As you may have guessed, the sneaker is fitted only with tones of grey and white throughout. White can be seen in prominent places such as the toe box, upper, tongue, mudguard, and midsole. A lighter grey color is accented on the heel of the shoe and the air cushioning bubble (which is also all the way around the sneaker). Dark grey accents accentuate the fine lines of this shoe too, as seen on the mudguard, Nike swoosh, and by the laces. This pair originally retailed for $200 and was released on April 4th of 2021. 

The Black Blue Colorway

The black and blue colorway of the Air Vapormax EVO combines the best of both pure black colorways with fun, colorful colorways. Using black as a base color, there are accents of bright blue on the quarter panels, midsole, eye stays, and heel tab. There are also gold accents outlining the black Nike swoosh and on the heel, tongue, and air cushioning bubble. The addition of gold in this colorway makes the blue and black colors pop, which many fans loved. This pair also retailed for $200 when it was released in 2021. 

The Infrared Colorway

Nike couldn’t release an iconic sneaker like the EVO without bringing back the classic Infrared colorway. This colorway features mainly different shades of grey, white, and black with the signature Infrared color throughout. The white can be seen intertwined with grey and black on the side paneling, toe box, eye stays, outsole, midsole, and even the air cushion bubble. Infrared is perfectly placed on this sneaker and is seen in the Nike swoosh, on the bottom of the sneaker, on the tongue, and the heel tab. If you’re looking for a way to celebrate the past while still having a futuristic shoe in your collection, this colorway is perfect for you. 

The Hyper Grape Colorway

The hyper grape colorway is our last favorite colorway of the Air Vapormax EVO line of sneakers. The shoe’s base is all white, but what really stands out is the pops of color throughout. Teal, purple, and pink can be seen in places on the midsole, the bottom of the shoe, the Nike swoosh (with teal outlining the swoosh), the tongue, and the heel. This colorway provides a fun, fresh style to sneakerheads without having lots of darker colors added to it. This pair also initially retailed for $200 when it was released in 2021. 

 

Where You Can Snag A Pair

You may ask yourself, “How can I get my hands on a pair of these kicks?” Well, we’re here to help with that! There are many places where you can cop a pair of these legendary sneakers. Although all of the colorways of the Air Vapormax EVO are no longer sold on Nike’s website, we’ve found these credible online retailers that offer many fan favorites. 

1. StockX: StockX is one of the most reputable places out there for people who want to buy authentic, no-longer-sold footwear. StockX only sells new pairs of sneakers or sneakers that have never been worn, meaning you’ll get the highest quality out there. They use machine learning as well as a talented team of people to authenticate thousands of pairs of shoes. After the boots are proven to be new/unworn and have passed the authentication process, they’re taken through one final quality assurance checkpoint where they’re approved to be delivered to your door. Check out StockX’s collection of the Air Vapormax EVO if you’d like to get your hands on a pair!
2. GOAT: GOAT is another online retailer that sells pairs of shoes from the past, or shoes that are currently in style and sold out on their original websites. They allow people to sell the shoes they no longer want, too. GOAT uses a verification process that uses a combination of or some of the following steps: digital authentication, authentication with machine learning, or in-hand verification. When people purchase a pair of sneakers off the GOAT website, they send you a tracker that allows you to view the verification status of the sneakers you select. If at any point the verification status is ‘not verified’, you will receive a full refund. 
3. Amazon: Amazon is another place where you can purchase different colors of the Vapormax EVO sneaker. Although there is no tried and true verification process that Amazon uses to authenticate their shoes, there is the power of the consumer review. If you are looking at a pair of sneakers that you see has low reviews or reviews that question the authenticity of the shoe, you can either report the listing or try to look for a different pair altogether. Additionally, Amazon nearly always has sales going on that may mean you getting a discounted price for your favorite team. If you receive your pair and decide you don’t want it or it wasn’t what you thought, you can always return the sneaker too. Check out this link in order to see the different variations of the Vapormax EVO Amazon has to offer.

Conclusion

Nike’s addition of the Vapormax EVO to the Air Max line is a recent addition, but hasn’t disappointed fans. Many people loved that the Vapormax EVO played tribute to iconic shoes that came before its time, while still having many fun and modern colorways to choose from. And although these sneakers are no longer sold on Nike’s website, there are many credible resources online that can point you in the right direction to finding your favorite pair of Nike Vapormax EVO sneakers.