In a promotional behind-the-design video, Nike designers shared that their goal was to make the Nike Air Max 2090 the “iconic sneaker for the new generation”. This was a truly an ambitious goal for any designer or artist and in today’s Nike Air Max 2090 review we’re going to see if they were able to do just that. We bought the Nike Air Max 2090 from the Nike Philippines website and we’ve been wearing them (indoors because of the lockdown) for the last 2 days. Here’s our review.
We’ll start this review off by talking about the comfort and feel and then we’ll progress into the design aesthetic. The Nike Air Max 2090 is extremely comfortable. We loved the transition of the air heel unit moving into the soft foam from the midsole to the forefoot. It felt seamless and even throughout the stride. We were pleasantly surprised with how comfortable the foam was because it wasn’t REACT. Think of it as a softer version of the foam used in the original Nike Air Max 270.
Moving on to the design, the Nike Air Max 2090 paid tribute to the original Nike Air Max 90 by incorporating the medallion with the aerodynamic lines at the back of the heel and the same aesthetic (albeit 200% bigger) for the air unit. Everything else though honestly feels like an Air Max 270. The shape of the upper, materials used, as well as the over-all vibe is more Air Max 270 than Air Max 90.
*Click here to watch our Nike Air Max 90 2020 Review
Over-all it’s a good shoe. It’s beyond average and it delivers on the style and comfort that this generation of sneakerheads look for.
However does it accomplish the goal of being a “generational iconic sneaker”? My opinion is that it falls terribly short. Nike could have gone the extra mile by making it connect emotionally to this generation more by making the shoe reflect the issues that this generation cares about such as sustainability, diversity, and acceptance. Instead the Nike Air Max 2090 comes across as another trendy sneaker that doesn’t have special significance. You can actually tell it from the promotional video that they made which you can watch below. It came across as a sneaker that was made to satisfy what OGs wanted to have in a shoe for the next generation.
Again, let me reiterate — it’s a friggin good shoe. It’s one of my favorites in my “lockdown rotation”. But it’s definitely, at least IMO, not the sneaker of this generation.
