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Nike’s Burly Outdoor Air Max Brings Streetwear Cred to the Campground

Like the original 1987 Air Max, Nike’s camp-ready sandal flaunts its signature trait.

Nike sandalNike

By Jack Seemer

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When Tinker Hatfield first made a shoe with a visible Air unit, the Nike designer probably didn’t know just how important that decision would be.

The Air Max 1, first released in 1987, is widely considered one of Nike’s most important designs, spawning countless collaborations, global fashion trends and even its own holiday.

The Air Max has effectively become its own genre within Nike’s vast library of sneaker designs, with dozens of variations that put their own spin on its signature flourish of transparent cushioning.

One of the boldest is undoubtedly a rugged outdoor sandal called the Nike Air Max Sol, first released in 2023 and returning this year with a new dark-camo colorway.

Nike sandal
First seen in 2023, the Air Max Sol resurfaces in a dark-camo colorway.
Nike

Take a hike

Like Hatfield’s original 1987 shoe, the Air Max Sol boasts a visible Air unit in the heel that’s sandwiched in between a waffle-like rubber outsole and standard foam midsole.

Nike sandal
A waffle-like outsole sits below the foam midsole and Air unit.
Nike

However, the rest of the design charts its own path, trading a traditional shoe upper for an open-toe silhouette that sits closer to an adventure sandal you might expect to find on the trails, not sidewalks.

Nike sandal
The Air Max Sol swaps a traditional sneaker upper for an open-toe design.
Nike

And while Nike stops just short of calling the Air Max Sol a camp-ready offering, its quick-drying mesh easy-adjust straps make it a compelling match for the Teva and Chaco sandals of the world.

Nike sandal
Airy mesh and durable straps put the the Air Max Sol in the adventure-sandal camp.
Nike

Price and availability

The Nike Air Max Sol has yet to surface in the US. However, it’s starting to pop up on Nike’s international sites such as Nike Japan, where it carries a price tag of 11,00 Japanese yen (about $76 USD).

In the meantime, US shoppers can check out Hoka’s own rugged open-toe sandal, the Infini Hike TC, which came out in March.

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