This week, Nike bring us two slick new Air Max 90s, dubbed ‘Side A’ and ‘Side B’. While many publications have been calling these the ‘Mixtape’ pack, that name is actually a little off the mark. In fact, it completely overlooks the brilliance behind these carefully combined creations. So, today, with a little help from the knowledgeable crew at Archive.DNA we’re here to set the record straight… literally!
AIR MAX 90 “A SIDE”The Concept
So how do we know that the name ‘Mixtape’ isn’t quite right? Just take a look at the tongue! While the terms ‘Side A’ and ‘Side B’ make sense for a mixtape, the ‘33 1/3 RPM’ text found beneath the laces does not. It’s actually an obvious references to vinyl records. 33 1/3 revolutions per minute is the standard speed adopted within the record industry, particularly for full albums. Accordingly, as the Archive.DNA crew have clarified, the shoe is actually a play on the art of sampling – not mixtapes!
Mixtapes vs. Sampling
You might think it’s splitting hairs to dispute the source of inspiration behind these new 90s – after all, both combine music – but the differences in the way they are executed are stark. Creating a mixtape is about championing harmony and flow. It is about grouping songs together of a specific theme, mood or emotion, and ordering them in a way that flows seamlessly from one to the next. While the order is unique, the songs themselves, within a mixtape, are typically just as they were created.
AIR MAX 90 “A SIDE” – Sole
Sampling is a completely different beast, however. Sampling isn’t about preservation, it is about dissection. Sampling is the idea of utilising and reinterpreting a minute component of an existing work in order to create something distinctly different from the original product. In music, this can range from a drum loop to a vocal hook, but – when executed properly – the end product will be far removed from the track that is sampled. Rather than rest on the comfort of familiarity, sampling is often about sourcing amazing elements from the most obscure and unexpected of places.
The Execution
Nike’s new ‘Side A’ and ‘Side B’ Air Max 90s put a new spin on the idea of sampling. We have seen plenty of ‘What The’ shoe concepts from the Swoosh over the years, all of which have served as greatest hits compilations of memorable sneakers, but these new designs play by a completely different set of rules. Rather than amalgamating the greatest Air Max 90 make-ups, they instead combine distinctive elements from a selection of nine existing designs – some beloved, some overlooked and some detested – to create two amazing sneakers that don’t rely on consumers being able to connect them to existing popular designs. In fact, it’ll take a keen eye to detect the majority of components sampled from existing AM90s. Nike have given us a bit of help, with a full list of credits on the clear outsoles (itself a nod to the ‘King of the Mountain’ 90s), but trust us: it’s still one hell of a challenge to spot them all!
The Samples
The nine shoes sampled in the ‘Side A’ and ‘Side B’ Air Max 90s are as follows: ‘OG Infrared’, ‘King of the Mountain’, ‘Anniversary Cork’, ‘Moon Landing’, ‘Lemon Frost’, ‘Untold Truth’, ‘OG/Ostrich’, ‘Sunblush’ and ‘BRS Powerwall’.
AIR MAX 90 “A SIDE”
Archive.DNA have managed to deduce every single reference, but they aren’t willing to give away the answers too easily. After all, the beauty in a perfectly sampled composition, is not being able to easily trace the individual elements back to their source. Still, we’ll give you a few to get you started:
‘1. OG Infrared’ – Both designs feature mesh toe boxes, just like the OG ‘Infrared’ Air Max 90. In the 29 years since the model’s debut, we’ve seen toe boxes made out of everything from leather to velvet.
‘4. Moon Landing’ – Both designs feature mid-foot medial overlays with the iconic crater print from this memorable AM90 tribute.
‘6. Untold Truth’ – This lesser-known release inspired the aggressive ‘X’ stitching on the heel tabs.
Can you spot the remaining references?
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The Nike Air Max 90 ‘Side A’ releases at Foot District on Thursday, June 20, while the Air Max 90 SIDE B releases two days later on Saturday, June 22.
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