Originally Posted by
Swerv1n
I remember some informative NTers schooled me on how Nike said the gas or air they used in theyre air units was hazardous to the environment so they did away wit the big air units.....something along those lines. Did they solve this problem...??...Will my Retro Air Max Pippen 1 white/silver have OG air units (avy) Nike i know u out there lurkin...?
Does this mean no more small air.....?.....Cause this air pocket is CRAZY BIG....
....biggest ever i think....whats the deal...?
No, no. The issue has
nothing to do with the size of the Airsole, and I've never said that. Search out my old posts and call me onit, if I'm wrong.
Nitrogen-filled Airsoles have to be molded using completely different processes than the original, SF6-filled Airsoles from the 80s and 90s. Because of thedifferent manufacturing processes required, the "replacement" versions of the original-style Airsoles are the same
sizes, but notquite exactly the same
shapes. Not in terms of length, width, or height... think about differences like cross-section symmetry, radii ofcurvature, etc. Because of these differences, the position/size of the "window" feature in the midsole mold has to be revised to properly fit thenew style, which often has resulted in it needing to be different from the OG position/size.
To summarize: the main handicap has been having to reproduce historical Airsoles that were designed and optimized for a totallydifferent manufacturing process.
Don't be shocked that "big Air" is coming back, for a couple of reasons:
- These new products (like the new Air Max 2009) are completely new models from the ground up, designed and optimized around the new Airsole manufacturingprocess, and are not having to force it through the limitations of the old styles.
(If the tables were turned: it would benext-to-impossible to mold the Air Max 2009 Airsole using the older process! It would have to be modified somewhat, and best case would end up shaped a littledifferently. So it's not a question of one process being inferior to the other--they're just different.)
- Nike's now had a little time to get comfortable with the new process and is obviously beginning to expand their capabilities. Think about the originalAir Max from 1987, with its tiny window. Just going from that to the BW was a big deal at the time, and things like 180 degree visibility, full-lengthcushioning and two- (or even three-)pressure units were still
years in the future.
....biggest ever i think....whats the deal...?
