Nike has revamped itself over the time and, as year 2014 approaching towards its end. Nike keeps their changing virtue with Nike Air Max 2015. The shoe definitely sport a brand new upper look, but is still based on the same 2014 Air bag unit. The new upper looks aesthetically striking and so does the treatment of the Max Air bag, with graphic prints and color graduation featuring for the first time on this model. Obviously, cosmetic window dressing makes no difference to the midsole functionality whatsoever, but the change in upper design results in a couple of fit related tweaks.

Upper: Upper undergoes a complete transformation, leaving the packed mesh upper behind. Cord based Flywire makes an appearance, its loops stretching over an all new mesh upper. Instead of the tongue being a separate component, it is part of a spongy textile which begins at the toe box. Side panels are single layer meshes which are now seen on a lot of Nike shoes, with perforations and close knit areas. These different mesh areas are joined together with stitch-less, fused overlays.The addition of inner sleeve and Flywire cords lead to a natural consequence, which happens to be fit difference. Out of the five Flywire loops on each side, only two work together with eyelet holes. The remaining three connect directly with the lacing, which means that every time when laces get pulled, the cords will effectively stretch taut on the upper. The Flywire cords will still stay flush with the upper, as they are kept in place by the in-built guides.

Outsole: The full length air bag is tightly pressurized, and feels firm during runs. That’s because there is no inherent softness, cushioning happens when foot displace the air inside the chamber with each landing. However, the tightly sprung Air bag has limited freedom to splay – both because of high gas pressure within a confined space, and the support pillars preventing the heel from sinking in too much.The stiff outsole doesn’t help much in cushioning too, as they completely lack articulation or grooves under the heel. Transition is one of the better areas, as material sameness underneath the foot helps the weight transfer feel uniform. Flexibility isn’t bad either, as deep grooves are inset within outsole forefoot, helping that area bend better. In what’s a rarity, the outsole has no Nike logo at all. (For those who’ve seen the AM 2014, you’ll remember the plastic logo overlay on the midfoot area) That looked tacky, and either Nike thought so too, or just looked at removing the overlay as another cost to save. So ironically, the absence of logo is now one of the ways in which you can visually tell legit merchandise from Xeroxed craftsmanship.

Verdict: Nike’s most expensive shoe isn’t its finest, yet looks unlike none other. This year’s edition comes with a brand new upper, and carries over the same sole unit. The Air Max 2014 was a heavy shoe at 414 grams for a US 11. So if the goal of using lightweight mesh on ’15 was to reduce empirical bulk, then Nike has succeeded in doing so. Weight is now down to an acceptable number of 382 gms, and all that slimming has happened on the upper, as the sole remains untouched. With exception of the logo, of course.