Review of the Nike Air Trainer 1 Men’s Shoe
Introducing the Nike Air Trainer 1 Men’s Shoes. Nike’s most popular cross trainer of all time has been worn by the world’s top athletes in the 80’s and 90’s. We’ll be taking a look at how they fit but also how they look with joggers, jeans, traveler pants, and khakis.
Table of Contents
- About Nike Air Trainer 1
- How do Nike Air Trainer 1 fit
- How do Nike Air Trainer 1 look on feet
- Are Nike Air Trainer 1 good for the gym
- How to wear Nike Air Trainer 1
- Where to buy
About Nike Air Trainer 1
The Nike Air Trainer 1 was born in 1987, created and designed by Tinker Hatfield. Tinker noticed that athletes were lifting and running in two completely different styles of shoes so to make things better and easier he built a sneaker that could do both. John McEnroe introduced them on the tennis court and Andre Agassi followed in 1988 as the new signee with Nike. Since then the Air Trainer 1 has become the most recognizable cross trainer ever.
Featured Product:
Size: 10.5
Color: Shown: Photon Dust/Smoke Grey/White/Light Smoke Grey
Other Popular Colors: White/Medium Grey/Chile Red/Midnight Navy, Limestone/Ale Brown/White/Valerian Blue, Enamel Green/Summit White/Coconut Milk/Sail . The black and white are worth checking out
How do Nike Air Trainer 1 Fit
Pros
- We’ve heard that it takes time to break in but we haven’t seen that to be the case
- The Air Trainer 1’s feel and look small when you initially take them out of the box but are actually very roomy when tried on
- No wasted space interiorly which makes them extremely comfortable
- The base of the shoe is very flat which it makes it pretty versatile. The Air Trainer 1’s can be used for a great lifting shoe
- The strap adds an awesome retro look
- True to size
- Fairly easy to clean
- Sturdy
Cons
- Noticed light creasing along the toes after a few wears
- The Nubuck leather on the back can be scuffed easily
- Not great for walking long distances
- If the strap is too tight it can dig into the side of your foot
How Do Nike Air Trainer 1 Look On Feet
Nike Air Trainer 1 on feet worn with Joggers
For a casual, lounging look the Nike Air Trainer 1’s with joggers or sweatpants fit really well. Having this shoe fully exposed with a tightly tapered ankle makes for a very athletic look given the cross training background of the shoe. The Air Trainer 1’s will look good with pretty much any pair of tapered joggers because of the mid high top fit. The joggers fall nicely just on or above the tongue.
Our one recommendation would be to wear a baggier jogger vs. a tighter/skinner one with these. The retro look of the Air Trainers will combine nicely with a classic pair of sweatpants instead of a modern lululemon fit and look.
Nike Air Trainer 1 on feet worn with Baggier Pants
We think that the baggier look of the Traveler Pants + with the retro look of the Air Trainer 1’s are a perfect fit. It’s a good alternative to jeans, khaki’s, etc. and can be a good option for the a solid sneaker for work or casual workplace. The dark combo of the pants + the white/smoke grey mix of the Air Trainers offer a nice pop that can pretty much go with any type of shirt, button down, or sweatshirt.
The mid hightop catches the pants nicely when the sneaker and pants meet. For reference the Traveler Pants featured here aren’t slim fit but are more straight leg.
Nike Air Trainer 1 on feet worn with Khaki Pants
Overall, this look surprised us the most and would highly recommend. This color scheme of the Photon Dust/Smoke Grey/White/Light Smoke Grey blends well with a classic khaki. The Air Trainer 1 gives this look a good alternative to a basic white tennis shoe that can essentially work for any environment.
Nike Air Trainer 1 on feet worn with Jeans
No surprise that the Air Trainer 1’s go well with pretty much any type of jean. They can be dressed up a bit with the darker jean or fit a more casual look with the lighter wash jean. Either way they are very versatile with denim.
Nike Air Trainer 1 on feet worn with Dark Skinny Fit Jeans
Nike Air Trainer 1 on feet worn with Light Slim Fit Jeans
Are Nike Air Trainer 1 good for the gym
In today’s era of shoe tech for the gym, the Nike Air Trainer 1’s are decent for working out. Given their cross training genes they can hold up well with power lifting or casual lifting because of the flat sole. The Air Trainer 1’s aren’t the best for running though. They don’t have the support for long distances on the treadmill or on the streets. They’re ok for 5-10 minute jump rope sessions but I found that my knees were a little sore the day after from the continuous impact. If your feet are a little bit wide, you’ll need to loosen up the strap that goes across the toe. If not, your foot will blister for sure.
How to wear Nike Air Trainer 1
Overall, we would highly recommend The Air Trainer 1’s. The fit is great and has that classic retro look that can be added to any sneaker rotation. They are very available for purchase as you can find them pretty much anywhere at this point.
Nike Air Trainer 1’s for the Office: Recommend. Since the 1’s can go with khakis and any type of jean we would recommend as a good fit for the office. Would not recommend wearing every day because you’ll want to preserve this retro shoe without beating it up with your commute. Even though its a good fit for the office we wouldn’t recommend to wear for client visits, presentations, etc. since its a little too athletic for a formal setting.
Nike Air Trainer 1’s for Casual outing: Highly recommend. Khakis, jeans, traveler pants all go well with the Air Trainer 1’s so the outfit options are pretty limitless if you wear them out to dinner, a bar, or other casual outing.
Nike Air Trainer 1’s for Lounge: Highly recommend. We’d substitute the skinner joggers for a classic pair of nike sweats though. That will give it more of a retro look and better overall fit. You can also wear right to the gym to lift since the 1’s have a very flat sole.
