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First launched 37 years ago, the Nike Air series has included some of the brand’s most iconic sneakers. Kathy Gomez, lead designer of the Air program, has spent her career obsessing over the line’s technology and design. She describes some of the highlights and hiccups from the earliest model to the Nike Air Max 90 Damen latest in Nike’s attempts to realize the dream of running on nothing but air.

Nike first deployed their Air technology at the Honolulu Marathon in December 1978. There was some wariness at first—the air pocket was hidden in the sole and felt a bit unstable—but it soon caught on among a niche of devoted runners. “Air obviously weighs nothing, and it deflects so much of the impact shock when you’re running. We just needed to make sure the air unit could withstand miles of running.”

It was the sleeker, narrower, and more supportive Mariah that introduced Air technology to a broader audience. “When you hear the runners and the engineers and the executives that are still at Nike talk about the magic of Mariah, the transition was amazing. It was just this smooth heel-to-toe, super light, and it felt fast and protective all at the same Adidas Superstar Dame time.”

Futuristic yet simple—with reds, greys, suede, and mesh—Nike designer Tinker Hatfield’s dream to expose the Air technology became a reality in 1987. The Max 1, with its visible air pocket, made the line iconic. “Tinker was inspired by the architecture of the Pompidou, a museum in Paris where much of the interior structure is visible on the outside of the building.”

Tasked with following a legend, the 180s began the two-decade march to provide more and more cushioning. “The idea here was deliver more air. If you talk to the designers, they’ll talk about the seamlessness of the air bag and how they made the sole look more cushioned.”

The 93s were the first shoe to show the air unit all around the heel. They were simple on top, with a touch of futuristic tech inside. “Prior to this, the air bags got their structure from Nike Air Force 1 Dame inflating them. But with the 93, the air bags were blow-molded and then pressurized, which meant they could better form to the foot.”

If Hatfield’s Max 1s invoke 2001: A Space Odyssey, designer Sergio Lozano’s 95s look more like 12 Monkeys. There were significant changes to the engineering too: “If you think about creating an underfoot cushioning system, the heel and the forefoot have different needs. The 95 was softer right under the heel where a runner crashes down, and under the forefoot, there’s more air so it can be propulsive.”

To showcase the new Tuned Air technology—which employed plastic pods to create specific bounce and support for each part of the foot—the Max Plus brought Air back to its futuristic aesthetic. “Even though air weighs nothing and is extremely durable, it can be squirrely and lack Nike Air Vapormax Womens stability. We used Adidas ZX 750 Damen a combination of air and a thermal plastic pod to create some stability within the whole system. We had cushioning plus stability built into the same thing.”

With no foam between the Flyknit mesh and the Air sole, the VaporMax is designed to look and feel weightless. The newest model is almost 40 percent lighter than the 13s. “Our thinking: Maybe more air isn’t better. Let’s put air only where you need it, and let’s redefine the sensation of air. You can see that paradigm shift just by looking at the shoes.”