First Looks // Nike Air Max 97 “M. Frank Rudy”

Phil Knight, Tinker Hatfield, and Michael Jordan are amongst the few critical players in the success of Nike’s global dominance. But without M. Frank Rudy, it’s likely that the brand would never have reached such success. The Aerospace engineer who brought his encapsulated Air technology to every footwear company across the nation was shut down by every footwear company he met. Phil Knight, though, saw immediate potential. Though the tech was first brought into the Tailwind in the late 1970s, it was Tinker Hatfield’s exposed Air units on the Air Max 1 and its subsequent lineage that propelled the technology — and the brand — into a global success. And it’s on this line that Nike will celebrate the engineer of Air, with a special-edition Air Max 97 “M. Frank Rudy” ready for release this summer.

Like the previously-previewed Air Max 90 and Air Max Plus options, this special-edition Air Max 97 is packed to the brim of shoutouts to the late Rudy. Everything from blueprint insoles that show the technology at work — signed off by Rudy himself — to midpanles that mimic the old school Air bags. Eyestays read his name, while special Californian license plate-inspired hang tags nod to the state in which Rudy called home for the latter part of his life. Elsewhere, the pair is finished in tonal whites and neutral suedes, whilst EST. 1997 nods the model year to which this design belongs.

Though an official release date for this new Air Max 97 “M. Frank Rudy” is unknown, you should expect to see it sneak into select retailers and Nike.com in the coming months alongside some like-minded models. When they do hit shelves, we’ll be sure to keep you posted here on our official Twitter account, but until then, enjoy an official look at the pair here below.

Nike Air Max 97 “M. Frank Rudy”

Release Date: 2022

Style Code: DQ8961-100