Today’s sneaker review is about the Nike Air Max Pre-Day, one of the latest lifestyle sneakers from the brand. Released in 2021, it was introduced as part of the “Move to Zero” campaign from Nike in which the products used are being made from recycled materials, mush like the Nike Air Max 2021 that we’ve looked at recently. The Pre-Day name alludes to the brand goal of making new designs inspired from their old models. Nike has been at it since 2014 in this trend and for this style they took the Nike Daybreak and Waffle and re-imagined them with an Air Max sole.
How They Fit
We got the classic colorway in black and white in stock this week and finally had a chance to take a closer look and try them on. The box in which they come in is the cardboard colored one used for the Move to Zero campaign and no other paper is included in the box for the same reason. The shoes look modern and stylish and more importantly they fit great as you first put them on. I would say that they run true to size but they do run narrow so, as usual you may want to go a half size up if you have wider feet. Not sure about your size? You can check out this Nike shoes size chart here.
Upper
The upper of the Nike Air Max Pre-Day is made of 100% recycled materials. It features a nylon base with some synthetic overlays and a leather oversized Swoosh that seems elongated by the heel tab. There is minimal cushioning around the ankle area and the tongue is made from a webbed nylon material to be ultra breathable. The classic Nike branding can be found on the tongue and heel, much like with the retros it was inspired from. The Swoosh is oversized much like the Blazer Mid from the 70’s. They feel very breathable and quite flexible, great for warm weather and more. Even if the upper materials are not of the best quality this sneaker excels in looks and comfort.
Sole Unit
The sole unit is where this sneaker shines. Nike took the Air Max unit they’ve been using for their classic models like the Air Max 1 or 90 and they placed it in this sneaker sandwiched between the upper side and the outsole. This is an unique look on a Nike Shoe but also adds room for the unit to expand and offer even more cushioning. The rest of the outsole is made of a super plushy EVA midsole we assume to be the Cushlon material.The midsole wedge from the front adds some nice movement flow, this being also inspired from the classics. As with most sneakers from this brand on top we find the usual EVA insole that bears the Move to Zero logo. The result of our Nike Air Max Pre-Day review is that this is a super comfortable shoe that will do best as a casual sneaker but also for light gym work. Later in 2022 Nike used the exact same sole to create a hybrid sneaker, the Nike Air Max Flyknit Runner.
Bottom Line
All in all, to conclude our Nike Air Max Pre-Day review, this is a stylish sneaker with retro vibes that is comfortable and street ready. While not one of the more hyped sneakers out there, at a $130 price tag it surely offers a good value. They come in men, women’s and kids and versions and there are a lot of colorways available.
