Nike Air Max Tailwind 5

The focus on bubbled trainers, derived from the best Air Max models, has brought the Tailwind 5 line back into the spotlight. Although the Tailwind 5 was once considered a secondary pair in the extensive Nike Air Max and running collection, this view is quickly being disproved.

The emphasis on bubbled trainers, derived from the best Air Max models, has brought the Tailwind 5 line back into the spotlight. Although the Tailwind 5 has been touted as a secondary pair to the extensive Nike Air Max and running collection, this view is quickly being disproved.

The original Tailwind was first launched in 1978 and officially released in 1979. The Nike running shoe became a household name in the world of sports thanks to its air cushioning system, with which its sole is equipped. In 1992, the Tailwind was equipped with a visible air cushioning system and had to wait a few years before joining the Air Max collection. At the dawn of the new millennium, the Nike Tailwind is seen as a competitive and stylish successor to the Air Max.
After nearly two decades, the Air Max Tailwind 4 of 1999 could have been called the Air Max 99. The Tailwind breaks new ground in two areas: Air cushioning in the heel and forefoot, and the boldest upper, giving the Nike Air Max a runner's choice for sportswear fans.

The original Tailwind is arguably the most coveted runner in the history of the Smooth. This trainer is the very first to propel Nike's air sole continuity for years to come. The Nike sneaker will be released for the '78 Honolulu Marathon, but in limited quantities. It was here that the Tailwind revealed to the world the device developed by aerospace technician Frank Rudy, the Air-Sole unit, which would be previewed by Nike in 1977.
The Nike Air Tailwind sparked an incredible fervour and sold out in Hawaii in no time. Following this huge success, the trainer was launched to the general public the following year, with the same success among marathon runners.

Thanks to this worldwide success, Nike kept the original Tailwind design unchanged for more than ten years. But the Smooth brand finally decided to offer an innovative iteration of the Tailwind for the opening of the Olympic Games in Barcelona. This new version will be called the Air Tailwind 92. This innovative design revisits the Air Max trainer in a powerful way, to create a fashionable sports shoe and a more restrained follow-up to Nike's Air Max.

These sneakers also introduce a first for the Nike Tailwind, the feature that would become a staple technology for all successors of the profile in the following years: The visible air unit! An undeniable progression in the look of the model offered for the very first time by the Air Tailwind 92, the Tailwind 96 will also be equipped with this new process, "visible air" and thus can be part of the Ai Max collection for the very first time. Of course, the sneakers had to have a striking upper, and this one won the day by matching the look of the 90s trainers, which combine robustness and elegance. These shoes have rightly been known for many years as one of Nike's strongest, best performing and most stylish trainers of the decade.

Although Nike's first foray into the Air Max Tailwind was a remarkable one, the sneaker's leather-focused design showed that the shoes were tough and durable, but still too hot. In the 1970s, the upper was redesigned with a large mesh, which allowed the trainer to benefit from a lower temperature and therefore from a significant breathability.

These runners are also among the first Tailwinds to be heavily inspired by the Air Max design. While the Air Max Tailwind 2 was more focused on breathability, the designer who followed in '98 focused on fit first and foremost, and chose an asymmetrically shaped upper to better support the foot.

Various other elements will be integrated into the profile, such as a much larger toebox for optimal comfort and a wider heel. However, it is the different overlays that are reminiscent of the Air Tailwind 92, but inspired by the design of the Tailwind of the following year with its many additions from the Air Max 97.

By 1999, the Tailwind was somewhat equivalent in popularity to the Air Max in the main collection. Fact or not, the "Jailwinds" are the pinnacle of Nike Tailwind designs at the time, and the brand's various successors have not been able to create an adequate sequel in the 20 years since.
As for the Tailwind 4, its detailing reminiscent of the 1998 Air Max Plus is undeniable, so this was the Tailwind that first offered Air Max cushioning applied to the heel and forefoot area. In addition, its unusual and original upper made this Nike trainer unmistakable.

With the Air Max Tailwind 5, we're dealing with a delicate point among sneakerheads who have known and adored the 2000s profile without fail. The Air Max Tailwind 5's specific cushioned upper may have been an innovative concept in performance flexibility, but despite the crudely revamped sole, the runner is not that different from the maximalist look of the Air Max 4.
The Smooth brand will be rolling out a number of OG interpretations as well as SP iterations throughout 2020 in celebration of the Tailwind 5's 20th anniversary, however, these various revisits have not received the success expected.
Nike is not intimidated by the Air Max Tailwind 5's exceptional position, however, and is once again working on a 2021 redesign of the Tailwind. The OG collections of the early 2000s are niche gems among collectors, their Air units are proving to be "enormous"!