1987 was a big year for the culture. The Simpsons debuted on The Tracey Ullman Show, George Michael released his iconic single Faith, and Dirty Dancing hit cinemas. It was also the year, specifically on 26 March, that Nike dropped its most beloved shoe, the Tinker Hatfield-designed Air Max One.

Now a staple in the brand's lineup, the Air Max One's arrival was a big deal, mainly because It was the first shoe to have visible cushioning via its air bubble technology. In 2014, Nike cemented the shoe's importance in sneaker culture by branding 26 March as Air Max Day. Since then, the brand has released new and unreleased variations of the shoes and subsequent Air Max models.

And while it has become an annual phenomenon, with Nike dropping some of its most collectible takes on the iconic shoe (we're looking at you, the Sean Wotherspoon x Air Max 1/97), the hype around the event seems to have fizzled out in recent years. This may be due to the quality of Nike's releases, or perhaps more likely, the intense fanfare around sneakers finally reaching saturation point.

Well, we can confirm that this year there ought to be (and there already is) more noise around Air Max Day. With drops going live on the SNKRS app this Thursday, the day dedicated to the bubbly shoe will feature some excellent styles. Below, we highlight the releases that have got us excited about Air Max Day all over again.

Air Liquid Max

A brand new addition to the Air Max family, the Air Liquid Max "Green Apple/Volt" draws inspiration from the poison dart frog. This is executed through a three-layer mesh construction featuring hundreds of small dots. Nike has teased that this shoe, which features dynamic air bubbling underneath for a "walking on air" experience, is the first of many Air Liquid Max designs.

Patta x Nike Air Max 1

A Patta and Nike collaboration is always exciting, and this punchy design is no different. Inspired by Dutch culture, the "Waves" in "Hyper Crimson" features a white/platinum base, grey overlays, and bold Hyper Crimson wave mudguards. A Nike Swoosh and the Surinamese flag reference the shared heritage of Patta co-founders Edson Sabajo and Guillaume Schmidt.

Ducks of a Feather x Nike Air Max 95 "Tall Firs"

Ducks of a Feather has been given license to makeover the Nike Air Max 95. For those not in the know, Division Street-owned Ducks of a Feather is a clothing brand designed by and for Oregon student-athletes, which is fitting considering Nike's Oregon origins. The Air Max 95 "Tall Firs" collection – named after Oregon's 1938–39 Oregon Ducks men's basketball team that won the inaugural NCAA championship – features two designs inspired by the Pacific Northwest, including a "Lumber Yard" design and a shoe made with hairy suede.

Originally posted on Esquire UK