Nike Air Max Plus Men's Sneaker

Built Different — Nike Air Max Plus

The Nike Air Max Plus — known to most as the TN — is one of the most distinctive silhouettes Nike has ever produced. Designed by Sean McDowell in 1998 and inspired by the natural world — manta rays, palm trees, and the gradient of a Florida sunset — the Air Max Plus arrived with a design language unlike anything else in the Air Max family. The wave-like TPU overlays that run across the upper, the gradient color transitions, the multi-chamber Air cushioning system in the heel: these were design choices that felt radical in 1998 and have only grown more distinctive with time. The TN doesn't look like anything else because it was never trying to.

The TN Legacy

The Air Max Plus became a global phenomenon almost immediately after its release, finding audiences far beyond its original running context. In the UK, France, Australia, and across Southeast Asia, the TN developed cult followings that persist to this day. The shoe's aggressive design — the layered TPU waves, the gradient upper, the substantial heel Air unit — resonated with people who wanted something that stood apart from the cleaner, more restrained silhouettes that dominated the late 1990s. Nearly thirty years later, the Air Max Plus remains one of Nike's most requested retros and one of the most recognizable shoes in the world.

Key Features

• Wave-Form TPU Overlays — The Air Max Plus's most iconic design element — layered TPU overlays that run across the upper in a wave pattern inspired by manta rays and palm trees, creating a three-dimensional surface texture unlike any other Air Max silhouette
• Multi-Chamber Air Heel Unit — A large-volume, multi-chamber Air cushioning system in the heel that provides substantial impact protection and gives the Air Max Plus its distinctive rear profile
• Gradient Upper Construction — A carefully layered upper that transitions across panels — one of the Air Max Plus's defining design features, built to make the TN's silhouette land as hard as it did in 1998
• Structured Mesh Upper — A mesh upper with TPU reinforcement that provides breathability and structure — durable enough for everyday wear while maintaining the Air Max Plus's distinctive layered profile
• Considered Colorway — A cohesive, intentional palette that works across the TN's layered upper panels and TPU overlays — built to complement the shoe's iconic wave-form silhouette
• Waffle Rubber Outsole — A durable rubber outsole with a traction pattern designed for everyday wear across a range of surfaces
• Lace-Up Closure — A traditional lace-up system with a secure, adjustable fit

Product Details

Brand: Nike
Model: Air Max Plus (TN)
Gender: Men's
Category: Lifestyle / Heritage Running
Cushioning: Multi-chamber Air heel unit
Designer: Sean McDowell, 1998
Available Sizes: 3–12
Fit: True to size — Nike Air Max Plus runs true for most wearers

The Nike Air Max Plus was built different from day one. Nearly thirty years later, nothing has caught up.