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For most of the wearers of the Nike Air Max 720, going true to size is the best option for this kick. Wide feet users may go half to full size up if they wanted a roomier toe box compared to the snug fit of this lifestyle sneaker.
Compared to the Air Max 270’s one-piece collar, the Nike Air Max 720 has a detached tongue and a lacing system similar to the Air Max 97. It has a back heel pull tab for quick on and off. US sizes for men starts at 3.5 to 15 and women’s US sizes start from 5 to 12 all in medium width.
The Nike Air Max 720 is known for its futuristic look and nature-inspired colorway theme. With molded lines on the upper appearing to radiate from the sides creating a distinct look, the shoe also has mesh pods that offer stability and structure. The Air Max 720 sneakers by Nike was first offered in Day and Night variants for the colorways inspired by the Aurora Borealis or more popularly the Northern Lights.
The Nike Air Max 720 Northern Lights combines hues of iridescent purple inspired by the annual Aurora Borealis spectacle. The engineered mesh upper is textured in dark grey hues while also having plastic and mesh overlays giving the sneaker a retro-futuristic vibe to the entire shoe of the Northern Lights (Night) variant. The Northern Lights (Day) variant meanwhile has pale tones of metallic silver and midnight navy covering the engineered mesh upper. While this look feels subtle and minimalist, the colors simply pop out in a gradient-like pattern that is far different from previous Air Max models where bold branded hits and oversized branding seems to be the norm.
More Air Max 720 colorways
Channeling the Air Max Plus TN, Swoosh brand designers came out with the Nike Air Max 720 Sunset a few weeks after the Air Max 720 Northern Lights was released. The gradient colorways dropped February 21st seem to be the norm for the latest Air Max model with the sunset-inspired theme dominated by various shades of orange that will surely pop with any outfit. Also released on the same date as the Sunset colorway is the Nike Air Max 720 Aqua which displays a teal to the blue theme in the upper.
Other iterations include the Nike Air Max 720 Triple Black and Nike Air Max 720 White shoes which are minimalist and stripped back to the basics. Despite its almost plain look, the shoe is the favorite of those wanting an everyday sneaker without worrying too much of their sock game or their clothes as black and white tones just works with any type of outfit.
Also popular among car racing fanatics is the motorway-inspired Nike Air Max 720 Saturn. The high-top version was initially dropped in Black/Dynamic Yellow-University Red colorway and goes higher at $200. Some notable details in this iteration include “Racing” branding at the heels and “AIR 7720” placed repeatedly on its racing stripe taping just above the Air Max heel unit and the printed Swoosh. The shoe debuted during the All-Star Weekend in Charlotte held at the city’s motor speedway. Other color options for the Nike Air Max 720 Saturn also came out like the White/Red and Triple Black. Additional anticipated releases are the Nike Air Max 720 Saturn “Pure Platinum” and Nike Air Max 720 Saturn “March Madness.”
For the Nike Air Max 720, the colorway game seems endless with anticipated releases for the Desert Gold, Team Crimson, Metallic Silver, Pale Vanilla, Black/Laser Pink, and Pink Rise colorway options for 2019. It was also announced on Air Max Day 2019 that American soccer star Odell Beckham Jr. will be collaborating on an Air Max 720. Shown in his Instagram account, the soccer star showed a Multi-Color and Hyper Pink color scheme for the collaboration shoe expected to be released on June 21, 2019.
Styling the Air Max 720 on-feet
Dressing up the Nike Air Max 720 on-feet will never be a challenge for those who love the sporty and street-style look. Most men and women wear their Nike Air Max 720 sneakers with joggers, track pants, and ankle-length trousers. Other fashionistas, meanwhile, would prefer to wear them in simple walking shorts or jeans.
But what makes the Nike Air Max 720 shoes more striking (not that it isn’t) is when stylists try to glam-up their sock game. Some users wear contrast-colored socks to let the minimalist shoe design pop. Others meanwhile take their Air Max 720 wearing experience up a notch by wearing neon-colored crew socks to provide more visual feast for the eyes. For some stylish wearers, they would pair these kicks with branded ankle or crew socks with bizarre patterns that will provide a balance to the gradient-patterns and colors of the shoe.
If it isn’t already obvious, the Nike Air Max 720’s most distinguishing feature is Nike's tallest Air unit to date, the 720 Air unit which runs the length of the outsole. The Air Max 720 shoe has a 360-degree visible air unit that measures 38 millimeters that guarantees superb cushioning in every step. The upper is comprised of engineered mesh overlays in nature-inspired hues with molded lines that appear to radiate out from the medial and lateral sides, creating a unique wavelike design.
The Swoosh label’s Nike Air Max 720 sneakers, the latest lifestyle and casual Air Max sneaker offering, reflect the evolution of the brand since Nike Air technology was first introduced in 1979. Since then, the technology has made the rounds of almost all of Nike’s major footwear models launched by the Beaverton-based shoe retail giant hence, in a nutshell, creating a lasting impact in the footwear industry.
More than three decades later since the first Air Max release, the Nike Air Technology has remained consistent in giving lasting comfort and cushioning with the signature visible air unit. As an iconic symbol of street-style sneakers, the Nike Air Max line has long been paving the way for the shoe to be one of the most well-known running kicks of all time.
Evolution of the Nike Air Max
The Nike Air Max 1 paved the way for the popularity of air-cushioned sneakers. Created by the legendary sneaker designer Tinker Hatfield and released in 1987, the running-inspired lifestyle shoe featured the first ever visible air unit. Hatfield was inspired by the Centre Pompidou in Paris for the visible air unit at the heel of the shoe. He sketched the design based on the inside-out architecture of the Parisian building.
For Hatfield, tinkering with once hidden air unit was a bold move that felt like overdoing the design process at the onset. But creativity and the genius of the legendary designer persisted and the result was an iconic silhouette that until this day has created astonishment from its fans.
For many sneaker designers including insiders from Nike, displaying the air bubble unit at the back was a provocative idea when the trend at that time was to keep the air cushioning hidden. At that time, many shoe designers fear that the air unit gets punctured or make the look of the sole structurally weak and less durable. The Air Max 1’s design has a tipless vamp reminiscent of the Air Sock Racer and an external heel strap minus the heel counter.
Since the release of the classic Nike Air Max 1, countless other iconic max air unit sneakers have flooded the market for more than three decades. Some of these designs were as provocative as the first Air Max design, especially on the air unit. Some of these designs include bestsellers like the Nike Air Max 90 and Nike Air Max 180 which featured more air and aesthetic improvements.
Other designers also came in like Bruce Kilgore, who worked alongside Hatfield for the Air Max 180 for a sleek design that incorporated air in the sole. The Sergio Lozano-designed AM 95 went even further by totally exposing the air unit not only at the heel but also at the front part of the sole. The Nike Air Max 97, another top-selling iteration designed by Christian Tresser featured a full-length air unit from toe to heel. This was then further enhanced by the street-style influenced by the Nike Air Max TN in 1998, the forerunner of the Air Max Plus sneaker which highlighted Tuned Air cushioning technology.
At the turn of the 21st century, the Nike Air Max design moved forward with the release of the Nike Air Max 360 in 2003. The design after two decades evolved with an all-new Caged Air unit that permanently etched the company’s goal of having a totally air-cushioned sole for runners. Soon other designs came out like the Nike Air Max 2015 which featured the most flexible air-cushioned sole and a dynamic colorway.
In 2016, however, the Swoosh company decided to offer something from the past as part of the 30th year of the design. The Nike Air Max Zero sneaker came out featuring a featherweight mesh upper material. Aside from the nostalgia piece in the Air Max Zero, the company also launched the Nike VaporMax in 2017 which featured sock-like construction with a mix of Flyknit and a full-length air unit that Air sole. It is also the lightest Air Max sneaker ever made. What’s constant in these releases is the air unit that seems to have progressed for the better.
Swoosh brand’s biggest air unit
Nike designers went all out in 2018 when they released another bestseller, the Nike Air 270. It debuted on February 2, 2018, featuring then the highest air unit. The design was exclusively made for casual wear and not for performance running. The design was inspired by two icons namely the Air Max 180 and the Air Max 93. The design has a two-piece midsole with a large Air Max unit and stretchy inner sleeves that deliver a snug fit. Its upper is made of synthetic materials particularly mesh that offers extra breathability while its rubber sole delivers solid traction.
Just when the Air Max fans think that the Air Max 270 will probably be the last in terms of having a better and improved sole, Nike designers have continued with another bold idea -- to make the Air Max 270’s cushioning even bigger and higher.
Released just one year after its predecessor, the Nike Air Max 720 was designed by Dylan Raasch and Jesi Small of Nike Sportswear. The official Nike Air Max 720 release date was announced to be on February 1, 2019, releasing in two “Northern Lights” colorways. The tallest Air Max cushioning unit to date offered more air that runs the full length of the sole. Its main appeal, though, comes from its nature-inspired colorways, and mesh pods in the lateral and medial side for support.
The nature-inspired design and the air cushioning unit are comprised of 70% recycled wastes from the manufacturing process. It also has an airbag ring that supports the huge air cushioning giving a bouncier and buoyant feel. The design also has engineered mesh in the upper with minimal 720 branding strategically placed above the heel. The upper also has molded lines that appear to radiate from the sides and creating a wavelike design while translucent rubber on the heel and surrounding the shoe adds a more polished look.
- The shoe has rubber coverage on the outsole for traction while a translucent rubber on the heel gives prominence to the big air unit.
- Minimal Nike Swoosh branding details can be found at the toe box, back pull tab, and on the lateral side above the air unit.
- Air Max logos can be found at the tongue and sockliner while a translucent “720” embossed detail appears at the back of the air unit.
- Anticipated colorway releases for 2019 the Desert Gold, Team Crimson, Metallic Silver, Pale Vanilla, Black/Laser Pink, and Pink Rise colorway options for 2019.
- During Air Max Day 2019, American soccerer Odell Beckham Jr. announced on his Instagram account that he will be collaborating on an Air Max 720 featuring a Multi-Color and Hyper Pink scheme to be released on June 21, 2019.