Nike Continues its Celebration of Air with the VaporMax 2021 “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 series that celebrates the man himself; the latest inclusion appearing here today: the Nike Air VaporMax 2021 “M. Frank Rudy”

Like the previously-previewed Air Max 90, Air Max 97, and Air Max Plus options, this special-edition VaporMax 2021 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 rear clips and VaporMax units that mimic the old school Air bag tint, 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 muted yellows, whilst EST. 2021 nods the model year to which this design belongs.

There also appears to be a concurrent “Air Pressure” series that sports a handful of similar traits.

Grab an official look at the Nike Air VaporMax 2021 “M. Frank Rudy” here below, and stay tuned into the official HOUSE OF HEAT Twitter account for further updates on the pair’s release, which at this stage is expected to be later this year.

Nike Air VaporMax 2021 “M. Frank Rudy”

Release Date: 2022

Style Code: DQ8963-100
Retail: $210