What you see is a pair of Air Max NM -- better known as the Air Nomo Max 1. These were specially branded training shoes made for former Dodgers starting pitcher and Japanese sensation Hideo Nomo starting in 1996 - a year after winning the NL Rookie of the Year Award. The pair I have is a retro version that was released in 2011 -- nearly ten years ago. They had also renamed the shoe from Air Nomo Max 1 to Air Max NM that year.
As you may have noticed, the design of the shoe is meant to reflect the nickname Hideo Nomo had -- The Tornado. The pattern on the upper has solid blue leather with numerous triangular cutouts on each side. This is meant to look like wind swirling around like a tornado.
BTW, I ran across an original Nike television ad on YouTube and thought it would be fun to share it. This commercial is from 1996.
(YouTube Link)
Low and behold, I found a seller seeking $20 for a blue colorway in my size. Best yet, it was in very good wearable condition. I would not have to spend much time cleaning them. So, being the frugal shopper that I am, I made an offer to the seller at $15, and he took it. A week later they were at my doorstep.
As a side note, these Nomo trainers used the exact same midsole as the Nike Air Griffey Max 1 -- also released in 1996, but before the Nomo shoes. So, folks often regard the Nomo Air Max's as a homage to Griffey's Air Max. To see what I mean check out the two photos below.
Nike Air Max NM Nike Air Griffey Max 1
- Via Robert Baly at Vin Scully is my Homeboy -- "Hideo Nomo Nike Air Max NM Shoes."
- Via Robert Baly at Vin Scully is my Homeboy -- "Fan Pix: Hideo Nomo Air Max HM Shoes (90's edition)
- .Per Nick Engvall at Eastbay Blog -- "Eastbay Memory Lane: Nike Air Max Nomo."
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