In 1996, Nike released models like the Air Zoom Alpha for running and the Air Zoom Flight 96 for basketball. Clearly, implementing the word “Zoom” in the shoe’s name was a hit, and Nike quickly changed the name of the cushioning from ‘Tensile’ to ‘Zoom.’ Another early basketball sneaker that featured Tensile Air was the incredibly popular Air Zoom Flight 95, which was worn by players like Jason Kidd and Tim Hardaway. LWP stood for Lightweight Performance and featured Tensile Air cushioning inside rather than the bigger Nike Air bags.

The thin yet bouncy Zoom Air allowed the athlete’s foot to be closer to the ground for quicker movement.Īt first, Zoom Air was called ‘Tensile Air.’ I was first introduced to the new technology in 1995 with sneakers like the Air Go Flight LWP (for basketball players like Penny Hardaway and Mitch Richmond), the Air Challenge LWP (for Andre Agassi), and the Air Zoom LWP running sneaker. Zoom Air solved that problem by introducing an ultra-thin Air bag with hundreds of tiny synthetic springy fibers inside that cushioned the foot and provided better responsiveness than Air Max. Smaller, quicker athletes needed something lighter and more responsive – something that would give them an edge over their competitors. Sure, Nike Air Max cushioning was great, but it was also bulky and heavy. Like everything else Nike does, Zoom Air came as a response to the athlete’s needs. Why would I want a skinnier Air bag that you couldn’t even see? Why would I want my foot lower to the ground? After all, everyone wanted Air Max sneakers – and the more Air, the better. Zoom Air was certainly a risk when Nike started utilizing it in 1995. It’s been over 25 years since Zoom Air first made its way onto the sneaker scene, and it’s pretty impressive that a once radical technology we now take for granted has been so prevalent in sneaker design for this long.

You’ve experienced the ultra-responsive, super-lightweight cushioning cradling your foot and then springing it forward with every step. If you’ve tried on a sneaker designed for KD, or Kyrie, or PG, or Giannis, or the Brodie, you’ve felt it. If you’ve ever run, jumped, zigged, zagged, cut, or just plain walked on Zoom Air, you know the feeling.

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