What’s New (and Old) About the Nike Air Vapormax 2019
by Adriano Batista

The original Vapormax Air unit has been tested over more miles than any previous Nike innovation — in cold and warm weather, on walkers and runners — to ensure it would feel great and fit well for a runner who logs about 20 miles a week and someone who just wants to wear it all day long.
Still, there’s always room for improvement. So, designers went to Paris, London and Milan to talk with everyday athletes about what they loved about the Nike Air Vapormax and how they felt it could be better. The feedback: Nike nailed the consistency of ride and shock absorption with the Air unit, but there could be more structure and support in the upper.
Here’s how designers delivered on those wishes in the form of the new Nike Vapormax 2019.

What hasn’t changed
- It remains the most flexible and lightest Air Max thanks to the segmented Air sole that allows the foot to move more naturally than any previous Air unit.
- The full-length Air unit still sits directly underfoot — solo — to provide consistent cushioning for walking or running.
What’s new
- Designers reworked the upper using Nexkin, a translucent stretch-woven material that’s lightweight, breathable and conforms to the foot, but provides more structure and is more durable and weather-ready than Flyknit.
- A new internal cage wraps the midfoot, hugging the arch to provide support and lockdown.
- The TPU heel clip is bigger and higher, which means more support for all-day wear.
- Applying a TPU coating gives the Air bag a new color-shifting aesthetic: It looks opaque, but when held up to light it’s transparent.

www.nike.com
Q&A: Saul Rodriguez
Stop Watching Me
actual
What’s New (and Old) About the Nike Air Vapormax 2019
previous
Q&A: Saul Rodriguez
next
Stop Watching Me
We caught up with Billy to chat on film, fashion, and fear, but it was clear that he is passionately nerdy about music.
Six years after his last album, Dev Hynes, better known as Blood Orange, announces Essex Honey, set for release on August 29th, 2025.
Arte Antwerp treats design as something everyone should own, wear, and use to say something.
Far different from the Ibiza of neon-lit clubs, this is a nine-acre sanctuary where rustic Spanish finca charm meets understated Soho House cool.
Pull&Bear’s latest capsule collection draws inspiration from Henri Matisse, transforming his playful shapes and vivid colors into summer-ready clothes and accessories.
Jason Fejiro photographed by Johanna Stroud and styled by Jay Taglè, in exclusive for Fucking Young! Online.
For the first time, the work of more than 60 artists who have lived and created at the TOM House will come together in FXLK PLAY: Mythmaking, Devotion, and Mischief, an exhibition opening September 12, 2025, at Long Hall in West Hollywood’s Plummer Park.
Oakley is taking its expertise from extreme sports to outer space.
There’s something raw and electric in Last Exit on Bethnal, the new collaborative project between London producer/DJ Hannah Holland and filmmaker/photographer Lydia Garnett.
JIL SANDER backed the production of a seven-track EP and the Hamburg-shot music video for the song “Wanderlust”.
Balenciaga’s Winter 2025 campaign strips away polish in favor of something more intriguing: real moments in real spaces.
Marine Serre unveiled the first chapter of its “Heads or Tails” campaign, captured by the lens of Julia et Vincent.
Thirty students from fashion schools across Europe will gather in Barcelona this November to tackle one of the industry’s biggest challenges: waste.
The Phantom of the Opera has chosen his designer. Nicola Formichetti has been appointed Director of Masks for Masquerade, the new immersive Phantom experience coming to New York.
MM6 Maison Margiela and Dr. Martens are teaming up again, this time with a capsule that twists classic Docs into something fresh.
Kwir Nou Éxist project, a photo installation conceived by model, actress and activist Raya Martigny and her partner Edouard Richard, is now on view until July 25 in the iconic Tuileries Garden in Paris.
The legacy of Virgil Abloh will soon be celebrated at the Grand Palais in Paris with an exhibition developed in collaboration with Nike.
MODUS VIVENDI’s latest swimwear collection is made for days in the sun, with pieces that catch the eye without costing the earth.
Liam Goofy at Two Managment photographed by Martina Moreno and styled by Marta Ros, in exclusive for Fucking Young! Online.
BIMBA Y LOLA has introduced its new DOG LOVERS COLLECTION, a capsule line celebrating dogs and their owners.
Nanushka’s Pre-Spring 2026 collection, Reflections, takes cues from Austrian thinker Rudolf Steiner’s belief that spirit and material are inseparable.
The wait and speculation are over. Almost a month after Francesco Risso’s departure, Marni now has a new Creative Director: Belgian designer Meryll Rogge.
Spanish-Nigerian designer Wekaforé Jibril has made history with the opening of his first standalone boutique in Barcelona, becoming the first Black designer to establish a flagship store in Spain.
“It’s an honour to work with Burberry,” Wu said. “The brand’s dedication to its heritage and innovation results in pieces that never fail to amaze. I look forward to discovering what we’ll create together.”
ICECREAM EU has teamed up with END. to launch a special capsule collection celebrating END.’s 20th anniversary.
Harrison Sheehan photographed and styled by Carlos Venegas, in exclusive for Fucking Young! Online.
The Studio Archive is a new series releasing original Polaroids taken by the founder of Dominic Albano Collection.
C2H4® is slowing down. Instead of chasing seasons, their R011 Collection is built to last: one carefully crafted lineup per year, designed to stay relevant long after the trends fade.
We had the opportunity to chat with Martin about the great skincare reset and what we can learn from Danish clean beauty.