20 YEARS AND OVER. The Nike Air Max 97 shoe carries on the tradition of your favorite sneaker with the same design details that made the original famous: lines reminiscent of the ripples of water. Reflective profiles and full length Max Air cushioning. Origins of the Air Max 97 shoe: the revolutionary Air-Sole unit debuted in the Nike Footwear line in 1978. 1987 marks the debut of the Nike Air Max 1. first model with Air unit visible in the heel. which shows admirers the features of the new technology. in addition to offering all the typical benefits of Air-Sun. The Nike Air Max 95 shoe carries the Air unit visible in the forefoot and two years later the Nike Air Max 97 model presents the first full-length unit. The shoe plunges into the world of running. as anticipate its design lines reminiscent of water ripples. Twenty years later it is still on the crest of the wave.