See the thing about classic sneakers is that they are so representative of a time. Be it a time in your life, a time in the world, a season in your city, an era in our political system... In my own humble opinion, some of the best products in the world are those which have been around throughout our lifetimes and give us ultra nostalgia when we see it, touch it, smell it, feel it or hear it. For me, the Nike Air Max Plus particularly in Hyper Blue are representative of the very first goal I ever remember setting for myself.

The Nike Air Max Plus also known as Tn Air is a classic running sneaker created by Sean McDowell originally released in the Winter of 1998. At this time I was living in the River Park Towers in Roberto Clemente Skate Park in The Bronx while going to school on 160th and Amsterdam in Washington Heights. All of the teenagers had them, my cool older cousins had them, my gym teacher had them, everyone had them. I had to have them too but not because they all had them, but because I had never seen a color so vibrant and energetic, so eye-catching and distracting yet so romantically sporty. I was 9 years old and that night sky electric blue had my heart from the start. Love at first sight no doubt.

Days after the Nike Air Max Plus were released I told my dad who I had moved to New York City with in 1990 from Santo Domingo, that there were some sneakers I just needed to have. He asked me which ones to which I grabbed the most recent Eastbay mag which happened to be the 1998 Holiday Special issue, and I pointed them out. He promised we’d go the next day.

In an interview with Nike News, the creator of the Air Max Plus Tn Airs, Sean McDowell said that after a meeting with now Nike CEO Mark Parker (then CEO of Footlocker) the agreed upon initial strategy to sell the sneaker was going to be “an offbeat experiment in market research: put the shoe on a shelf at the store right when school lets out and see what happens.” This was cleaver because this was most definitely how they got me.

Sean said: “Five or 10 minutes later, there were like 10 kids flocking to the shoe asking, ‘What is this? How do I get it? The associates were looking around like, ‘I’ve never seen that thing before, I don't know how much it costs, I don't know where it came from.’

THE HUNT

My dad took me to three Footlockers one day and a couple of different sneaker stores the next day include Jimmy Jazz on 145th and Broadway and the Footco on the corner of 181st Street and Fort Washington to no avail. I don’t recall how it all happened but I was already infatuated with sneakers and fashion and how quick it all moved at such a young age . The desire I had for these sneakers was not matching my outside results despite my hard efforts. I was really bummed out, feeling extremely uncool (which is funny now but was not one bit then), and all around annoyed at the hunt and the unfairness of it all. Only in hindsight can I say and truly understand that if I was feeling this way, I can only imagine how my dad must have been feeling about this run around and about his daughter not settling for no other blue sneaker in over 10 sneaker stores in New York City.

I thought about these sneakers day and night and it was no help that the sneaker was also released in an orange and yellow color called ‘Sunset‘ inspired by the morning sky along with ‘Voltage Purple’ inspired by dusk (the black bone-like design is inspired by aerial views of palm trees) which were both SPECTACULAR color ways, but I just knew that while I could possibly settle for another sneaker in blue, I would never settle for a Tn Air in any color other than Hyper Blue first. And I never did.

THE SETTLEMENT

After months I finally gave up and one day at a Foot Locker uptown, I decided to settle for the Nike Air Garnett III designed by Aaron Cooper with Eric Avar. This sneaker had the same blue that the Tn Air had and I was going to get that blue into my life and on my feet however I could get it.

Since this bizarre hunt and for 20 years, every 3-5 years I would search for the sneaker in stores and online and when I would find them, they were either outrageous in resell price or not my size. Two weeks ago while in bed eating cheese, I looked at the sky and it was that very blue so I went on Safari to see what the deal was with these sneakers this year and well, the rest is history.

THE LESSON

At thirty years old I met the very first goal I remember ever setting for myself which was to own the Nike sneakers with the most beautiful blue I’ve ever seen. And while these could just be some sneakers to many, to me they are evidence of my life coming full circle with the spotlight on the innate persistence and patience that I have always possessed. My dad doesn’t know this but because of this and every other time he took me shopping, I now always feel him hovering very patiently and quietly around me whenever I temporarily spin out like the Tasmanian devil about anything material or trivial, waiting for it to pass.

There is no way I would have been able to wear these kicks at any other point in my life with this much pride and child-like excitement for all there is to come with time. Here’s to everything we all are yet to want and get.

What are your favorite classics? - loyalnana@gmail.com

MY BLUE SNEAKERS

THE HUNT

THE SETTLEMENT

THE LESSON

© 2014 - 2023 LOYAL NANA™