Advert from the UK for Nike AIR trainers.

Nike Air Max is a line of shoes first released by Nike in 1987. Since its introduction, Nike has frequently introduced new and updated models in the same product line.

The Nike Air Max shoe uses a large air cushioning unit at the heel which is visible from the side of the midsole in most models. Different types of Air Max cushioning include “Air Max2” which does not have the “holes” in the cushioning unit and is of high pressure, “Tube Air” which is visible in several small circles on the midsole of the shoe, “Total Air” which is basically just another word for full Air Max cushioning, “Tuned Air,” which is a system of individual pods supposedly “tuned” to different areas of the foot. Air in the early 1990s which was visible through the bottom of the shoe (although smaller portions of Air units are visible through the bottom of many Air Max models) and another type of Air cushioning is the low profile and very responsive “Zoom Air.”

Especially sought after models (according to Nike’s History of Air advertising) include:

Air Max I 1987
Air Max II (commonly known as Air Max Light) 1989
Air Max III (commonly known as Air Max 90) 1990
Air Max IV (commonly known as Air Max BW or Air Max Classic) 1991
Air 180 1991
Air Max 270 (commonly known as Air Max 93) 1993
Air Total Max (commonly known as Air Max 95) 1995
Air Max 96 1996
Air Max 97
Air Max 98
Air Max Plus (commonly known as Air Max TN)
Air Max Ltd 2002
Air Max 2003
Air Max 2004
Air Max 360 2006.
Air Max 360 2007. (The newest pair(s))
Air Max Elite
There is also new 2008 edition of the air max 180.

The 1993 model was the first to have the fully visible heel Air unit that was visible in the back as well as on the sides, and the 1995 model was the first to feature visible forefoot Air. The 1997 model was the first to include a full length Air bag.

The Beatles’ song “Revolution” was used in a television commercial to promote the shoe. It was the only time that a song performed by the Beatles was used in a TV ad.

Infro taken from wikipedia