The Nike Air Max 1 was the first silhouette where the Air Unit would be visible. The visible bubble was inspired by the Centre Pompidou in Paris. When Tinker Hatfield saw this building, he immediately knew what he would make the Air Max 1 look like. After its release in 1987, the pair became an instant success.

Nike has had many collaborations on the Air Max 1 silhouette, including with atmos. atmos is a Japanese streetwear and sneaker boutique based in Tokyo. Together with Nike, they gave the AM1 an animal look. The upper of the sneaker is made of a furry material and consists of different animal prints. The Swoosh is made red so that it still stands out. In 2018, a new part of this collaboration was released: namely the Animal 2.0!