Take a quick walk around any metropolitan city and you'll notice one thing: all the coolest girls wear the same exact thing. They might wear their Miaou pants with a shearling jacket instead of a cable-knit sweater, or tilt their cabby hat in a different direction, but every once in a while they will simultaneously latch on to a singular trend—and right now it's this pair of classic kicks.
Nike's Air Max 97s are celebrating their 20th anniversary this year, marking two decades of street style dominance. The design (inspired by the original designer's favourite mountain bike) feels fresh given the clean aesthetic of past it-sneakers (earlier this year we flocked to Vans' Old Skools, there was a moment we frantically raced to find a pair of Bella-approved Nike Cortez', and the presence of Adidas' Stan Smiths is still abundant).
After cycling through solid basics, it only makes sense that we are moving back in the opposite direction: a low-key statement shoe with throwback appeal.
Read Next
To commemorate the shoe's birthday, Nike's launched new colour ways and tweaks to the silhouette, but the look that has taken celebs and influencers by storm is the OG metallic silver with a subtle red swoosh.
This shoe is slowly trickling into mainstream style, so get yours before they either 1) sell out, or 2) we move on to the next big thing.
Justine Carreon is the market editor at ELLE.com covering fashion, Dutch ovens, and fashion again. When she isn’t approaching style through a modern, accessible lens, she’s scouring eBay for vintage Levi’s and pretending she knows how to surf. Before joining ELLE.com in 2015 she worked as a freelance writer and stylist in New York City.
