From the Vault: Patta x Nike Air Max 1 “5th Anniversary”
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By Stadium Goods |From the Vault: Patta x Nike Air Max 1 “5th Anniversary”
A look back at one of the greatest Air Max 1s of all time.
Matt DeSciora
Every month for the past year or so, we’ve been publishing a “From the Vault” feature here on the Stadium Goods Journal that highlights some of the rarest sneakers in our inventory. More often than not, these posts have been centered around super hard-to-find Nike SB Dunks and Air Jordans from the 2000s and early 2010s. As you can imagine, it’s been a blast to revisit some of the coolest shoes in sneaker history that came to be during the pre-social media days of our culture.
Today, however, we’re excited to be switching gears to share a shoe that’s neither an SB Dunk or Air Jordan, but rather one of the most legendary Nike Air Max 1 colorways ever: Patta’s “5th Anniversary” AKA “Denim Corduroy” design from 2009.
Patta x Nike Air Max 1 “5th Anniversary”
Whether this is your first time seeing the shoe or you remember reading about it on Sneaker News, NikeTalk and ISS back in the day, we think that everyone could use a refresher on this ahead-of-its-time Air Max 1.
Before we get into what makes the Patta x Nike Air Max 1 “Denim Corduroy” one of the greatest Air Max 1s of all time, let’s quickly talk about Patta, the Amsterdam-based boutique that has co-created some of the greatest sneaker colorways in the game. Founded in 2004 by Guillame “Gee” Schmidt and Edson Sabajo, Patta has worked with some of the biggest names in streetwear and sneakers, including Nike, as well as ASICS, Reebok, Jordan, Vans, New Balance, Mizuno, and even lifestyle brands like Clarks, Awake NY, and Carhartt WIP. In 2006, just two years into its existence, Patta landed its very first Nike collaboration when it released the Nike Air Max 90 “Homegrown.”
Flash forward to a few years later to 2009, and Patta had already had several projects with Nike and ASICS under its belt. To celebrate its 5th anniversary, Patta once again teamed up with Nike to create a new colorway of the Nike Air Max 1 called the “Denim Corduroy.” Interestingly enough, Patta and Nike also worked together on another Air Max 1 in celebration of the former’s anniversary called the Air Max 1 “Chlorophyll,” which was released in September 2009. We featured the “Chlorophyll” in another From the Vault post, which you can read here.
As for this Air Max 1, the colorway received a ton of hype at the time of its release because of its interesting design and use of colors and materials. The layered denim and corduroy overlays in hues of purple, navy, and green were unlike anything anyone had ever seen on the silhouette at the time. The positive response to the redesign undoubtedly caught Nike’s attention, and soon thereafter the brand began releasing Air Max 1s, Air Max 90s, Air Force 1s, and other legendary shoes from its collection in more casual colorways and premium materials like those featured on the “Denim Corduroy.”
It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Patta’s work with Nike, particularly on some of its early Air Max collaborations like those mentioned above, have greatly contributed to the rise of lifestyle sneakers in the last decade-plus. The shift from athletes guiding sneaker culture trends to artists, designers, and other creatives pretty much began when the likes of Patta and other retailers and streetwear brands began presenting sneakers in a new, casual light. And for that, we think that Patta is one of the most influential collaborators in our culture’s history.