In 2020 Nike focused on the Dunk and collaborated with the likes of Travis Scott and Ambush on custom designs. For 2021 the Oregon-based brand is steering its attention towards the iconic Air Max. 

The Air Max 2090 EOI, the Air Max Viva and the VaporMax Evo are the latest additions to the already expansive catalogue of Air-soled units and they've been designed with mega-fans of the sneaker line in mind. 

The three new sneakers build on Tinker Hatfield's original Air Max 1 design. The man behind kicks such as the Air Mag, Air Raid and the Jordan XIII, Hatfield introduced the Air Max 1 as the first to have a window at the sole when it launched in 1987.

Inspired by Paris' Pompidou Centre, Hatfield wanted to make the Air technology (already in use in shoes such as the Tailwind) visible from the outside. 

The Air Max 2090 EOI (which stands for “Evolution Of Icons”) takes inspiration from some of the best on the Air Max family tree and has stolen the “Ultramarine” colour scheme of the OG Air Max 180 and the silhouette of the Air Max 90. 

Further to this, the VaporMax Evo is an expansion of the Flyknit-crafted style that debuted in 2016 and comes with subtle nods to the Air Max 90, Air Max 93 and Air Max Plus, with its piping on the upper and chunkier silhouette. 

Meanwhile, the Air Max Viva includes Nike's Cushlon (a spongey foam that is full of air) midsole, an exaggerated Air Max Unit in the heel, and has been given an aesthetically pleasing update by way of nubuck leather and a two-tone rubber outsole.

And if that's not enough, Nike has teased even more sneakers, which will take the Air Max lineage into untouched territories. A larger EOI pack will launch sometime this spring and will include a selection of hybrid sneaks, such as the Air Max 270 React EOI and the Air Max Zephyr EOI.

A second pack will launch later this year and features the Air Max 90 SE EOI, the Air Max 95 EOI and the Air Max Plus SE EOI.

Put your Dunks away; it's Air Max year.