Our verdict

The Air Max SC is here to tell you that its name stands for Super Cheap. We walked all day long with this Nike pair thanks to its lightweight, flexible, and cushioned design. It features a big Max Air unit in the rearfoot that made us feel like we were stepping on clouds, and its all-time fashionable style looked great with pretty much anything we wore. Especially sporty outfits! Thanks to its running past, it also features an extra eyelet at the top and quality materials that supported our feet. Nevertheless, we wished its outsole was a bit more durable.

Pros

  • Super comfortable right off the bat
  • Eternally fashionable
  • Pretty lightweight
  • Soft and big Max Air unit
  • Fantastic for all-day wear
  • Surprisingly breathable
  • Quality materials
  • Great lacing for a secure fit
  • Incredibly affordable

Cons

  • Outsole lacks durability
  • Not for wide feet
  • Not for physical activities

Audience verdict

88
Good!

Who should buy

The Nike Air Max SC should have a soft spot in your heart as well as in your wardrobe if:

  • You're looking for a comfortable and lightweight pair of sneakers to wear all day long.
  • You want a former runner to show off in the summer that looks good with pretty much anything.
  • You don't want to spend all your savings on your new shoes.

Nike Air Max SC_outdoor_01

Who should NOT buy

If you want your new pair of sneakers to be with you for a long time, this might not be it. Its upper and heel padding did okay on our durability tests, but its outsole got obliterated. What's more, it's not fully covered in rubber, so there's some midsole material exposed to the abrasion of the urban surfaces. With that being said, the Air Max 1 might be exactly what you're looking for! It features more durable materials and the Air Max SC is its carbon copy.

Even though this shoe has a running past, it's definitely not for running. We would definitely advise you against performing any physical activities in it, as its midsole might feel slightly unstable. If you're looking for a specific running shoe, please check our catalog!

Nike Air Max SC_pieces

Cushioning

Heel stack

The massive Max Air unit at the rearfoot gave this Nike pair a heel stack of 35.8 mm.

Nike Air Max SC Heel stack_1

No kidding, we felt like we were walking on clouds from sunrise to sunset! Oh, how we love us some good old sneakers with a fantastically designed running past.

Test results
Air Max SC 35.8 mm
Average 29.6 mm
Compared to 80 sneakers
Number of shoes
16.9 mm
Heel stack
50.5 mm

Forefoot stack

One more thing that we really liked about the Air Max SC is that its forefoot stack is higher than average, which means that its heel is not the only padded part!

Nike Air Max SC Forefoot stack_1

Our caliper returned 20.2 mm, which translated into a soft ride, happy feet, and happy us.

Nike Air Max SC_outdoor_03

Test results
Air Max SC 20.2 mm
Average 18.7 mm
Compared to 80 sneakers
Number of shoes
9.7 mm
Forefoot stack
28.3 mm

Drop

The gigantic Air Max unit located at the heel makes that area way higher than the ball of the foot. After measuring both, we confirmed the Air Max SC has a drop of 15.6 mm!

Nike Air Max SC Drop_1

Even though that sounds like a lot (and it actually is a lot), don't worry, walking on this shoe was a piece of cake. We didn't have to get used to anything and it didn't feel weird at all, not even at the beginning! All we could feel was its wonderful comfort.

Test results
Air Max SC 15.6 mm
Average 10.9 mm
Compared to 80 sneakers
Number of shoes
3.5 mm
Drop
22.6 mm

Midsole softness

Note: a low durometer measurement equals a soft material, whereas a high measurement means it's firm.

As we always say, it's crucial to cut the shoes in half! Why? Well, because otherwise, you won't have full access to certain materials, like the midsole's foam.

Nike Air Max SC Midsole softness_1

Once we could stick our durometer in the material, it returned 33.1 HA, which means its foam is still pretty soft. This went hand in hand with our wear tests, as we enjoyed every single step with this Nike pair.

Test results
Air Max SC 33.1 HA
Average 29.3 HA
We use an average of four tests. The photo shows one of those tests.
Compared to 63 sneakers
Number of shoes
15.0 HA
Midsole softness (soft to firm)
60.0 HA

Insole thickness

As the Air Max SC was already pretty comfortable, we believe the brand decided not to go for the thickest insole out there, as this would most likely increase the shoe's overall weight.

Nike Air Max SC Insole thickness_1

At 4.1 mm, this insole is clearly thinner than average. But this didn't really make a difference for us! This sneaker's wonderful cushioning system gave us all the comfort we needed to walk for hours on end.

Nike Air Max SC_outdoor_014

Test results
Air Max SC 4.1 mm
Average 5.1 mm
Compared to 80 sneakers
Number of shoes
3.1 mm
Insole thickness
14.2 mm

Size and fit

Size

Nike Air Max SC is true to size (254 votes).

Owners of this shoe, how does this shoe fit?

Small True to size Large
Compared to 96 sneakers
Number of shoes
Small
True to size
Large

Toebox width - widest part

Our caliper returned 97.9 mm when we measured this shoe's toebox width at the widest part, which is pretty much average.

Nike Air Max SC Toebox width at the widest part_1

We don't have anything to say here just yet, let's wait and see if the shoe tapers as much as it looks like!

Test results
Air Max SC 97.9 mm
Average 98.8 mm
Compared to 80 sneakers
Number of shoes
91.3 mm
Toebox width - widest part
107.7 mm

Toebox width - big toe

Surprisingly, it doesn't! Don't let the blue layer of this colorway fool you, the Aix Max SC doesn't become a stiletto at the tip.

Nike Air Max SC Toebox width at the big toe_1

The tool marked 74.4 mm, which is also average. In our own experience, this Nike pair felt comfortable from the start, and our standard-width feet were pretty happy with its fit.

Nike Air Max SC_outdoor_017

Test results
Air Max SC 74.4 mm
Average 74.9 mm
Compared to 79 sneakers
Number of shoes
63.7 mm
Toebox width - big toe
83.0 mm

Stability

Lateral stability test

Even though the Air Max SC's materials don't offer the best lockdown ever, its running past can be seen and felt.

Felt because of its comfort and an upper that accommodates and adapts to the feet's movements.

And seen because of the extra eyelet at the top. Look at that! We wouldn't say running with these shoes is the best decision (actually, please have a look at our running shoes catalog), but if you're looking for some more surefootedness, this detail is ideal!

Nike Air Max SC_outdoor_05

Torsional rigidity

Despite its comfortable and nice soul, the Air Max SC is a toughie when it comes to torsional rigidity.

As you can see, it wasn't easy for us to bend it, like... at all. And that's because of its chunky midsole! So we gave it a 4/5 on this test.

Nike Air Max SC_outdoor_07

Test results
Air Max SC 4
Average 3.5
Compared to 79 sneakers
Number of shoes
1
Torsional rigidity
5

Heel counter stiffness

Even though the sides and the top part of the heel area were quite pliable, from the middle of the Achilles down, the shoe didn't bow that easily to us!

That's because of its top heel padding. In the video below, we'll show you the cut upper and its interiors. When we get to the heel, right at the end, you'll see the amount of padding at the top and the stiffer counter at the bottom.

Test results
Air Max SC 4
Average 3.2
Compared to 79 sneakers
Number of shoes
1
Heel counter stiffness
5

Midsole width - forefoot

At 107.0 mm, this shoe has a slightly narrower than average midsole in the forefoot.

Nike Air Max SC Midsole width in the forefoot_1

But honestly, though, we didn't even notice that until we came to our lab and grabbed the caliper.

Test results
Air Max SC 107.0 mm
Average 108.5 mm
Compared to 80 sneakers
Number of shoes
95.1 mm
Midsole width - forefoot
121.0 mm

Midsole width - heel

Our caliper marked that the Air Max SC's midsole width in the heel is just average, at 83.1 mm, which felt ideal on our feet.

Nike Air Max SC Midsole width in the heel_1

We enjoyed this shoe in every walk around town during our wear tests, from tip to heel!

Test results
Air Max SC 83.1 mm
Average 83.1 mm
Compared to 80 sneakers
Number of shoes
67.7 mm
Midsole width - heel
103.1 mm

Flexibility

Stiffness

The Air Max SC felt nice, comfortable, and totally in sync with our feet. It accompanied our moves easily, readapting itself to every step.

When we took it to our lab, we verified that only 21.6N were needed to bend it all the way up to 90 degrees. This score is lower than average, and it explains why it's so easy to walk in these sneakers.

Nike Air Max SC_outdoor_011

This flexibility, added to its low weight and comfortable materials just make it a wonderful choice for all-day-out adventures in the city.

Test results
Air Max SC 21.6N
Average 22.9N
We use an average of four tests. The video shows one of those tests.
Compared to 80 sneakers
Number of shoes
5.8N
Stiffness
60.5N

Weight

This is where this Air Max shines: it felt like a feather when we were walking around town! During our wear tests, we enjoyed the breathable and lightweight materials of this pair. All this added extra points to its already very comfortable structure, and we loved it!

Nike Air Max SC Weight_1

At 11.10 oz/315g, our scale confirmed it! We could walk around town, go out with friends, and even run errands all day long with these pretty pals.

Test results
Air Max SC 11.11 oz (315g)
Average 13.86 oz (393g)
Compared to 80 sneakers
Number of shoes
8.50 oz (241g)
Weight
22.61 oz (641g)

Breathability

Walking around town with this shoe felt like a breeze, but when we took it out of the box... we were not that sure.

When we put a piece of the upper (cause yeah, we do cut every single shoe here in RunRepeat) in front of our light in the lab, we couldn't see any ventilation holes. We saw the light shining a bit through the material, though, but that was pretty much it!

So we decided to test with our smoke machine to see if the materials let the air go out.

It didn't look like it would be very breathable at the beginning, but we've done this a thousand times, so we knew we had to wait patiently. After a couple more seconds, we saw the smoke slowly come out of the shoe.

Yeah, we know we can't compare it with the Adidas Astir. Those kicks were definitely a train in their past life! However, the constant flow of smoke throughout more than one area in the Air Max SC has made us give it a 4/5 on our breathability test.

Nike Air Max SC Breathability_3

This is what its mesh looks like. As you can see, there are no ventilation holes or any kind of gaps around.

Nike Air Max SC Breathability_4

Test results
Air Max SC 4
Average 3
Compared to 79 sneakers
Number of shoes
1
Breathability
5

Durability

Leather/Suede quality

The Air Max SC has different layers, so we had to put our butane torch and leather scratch awl to work!

We began burning the blue bottom part and the overall white upper material. As you can see, the latter literally melted, which means it's synthetic. On the other hand, the blue withstood the fire fairly well, so we believe it's real leather.

Then, we went for the Nike patch at the bottom. Just like a firefighter, this white piece made it through the flames, and it didn't become an extra munched chewing gum when we burnt it. Same verdict as the blue leather: authentic!

Last but not least, the Swoosh. And wow, someone got fired up! That flame and its sticky result indicate that this brand detail is synthetic.

PS: Please take into accounts that the colors we're talking about here are the ones this colorway features. They might change in different colorways of this same shoe.

Toebox durability

Now, to test this shoe's durability, we grabbed our trustworthy Dremel and started the party.

12 seconds of drilling were enough for the tool to mess up the toebox, but it wasn't able to make its way through the material. Even though we can't say the Air Max SC is as tough as an armor, we've decided to give it a fair 3/5 on our toebox durability test.

Nike Air Max SC Toebox durability_3

If you want to see what losing this battle against our Dremel looks like, let us show you the poor New Balance 530. You might be thinking: "Ah but there's a white underlayer that the tool couldn't get through!". No, no. That's not a layer, it's a white piece of material that we put there on purpose just to show the absolute hole!

Nike Air Max SC Toebox durability_2

Test results
Air Max SC 3
Average 3.8
Compared to 79 sneakers
Number of shoes
1
Toebox durability
5

Heel padding durability

We moved the Dremel all the way to the back to see it fight the Air Max SC's heel.

We didn't see much material flying around, which is always a good sign!

Nike Air Max SC Heel padding durability_3

Look at that, not bad at all. We were pretty happy with this shoe's resistance, so we decided to give it another 3/5 on our heel padding durability test.

Nike Air Max SC Heel padding durability_2

Just in case you want to see what a disastrous 1/5 on this same test looks like, the New Balance 237 (on the right) is ready to show you a comparison!

Test results
Air Max SC 3
Average 3.2
Compared to 79 sneakers
Number of shoes
1
Heel padding durability
5

Outsole hardness

This shoe's outsole is a little bit special, so we performed our hardness test in two different parts. Before we tell you about the results, let us show you what it looks like:

Nike Air Max SC_outdoor_012

As you can see, there are two big blue rubber pieces (in this colorway), one on the outer side of the heel and one on the outer side of the forefoot. The rest of the outsole is basically an extension of the midsole's material.

We started putting our durometer in the blue layer and it returned 83.5 HC, which is pretty much average. Consequently, we believe it'll offer a great mix of durability and grip.

Nike Air Max SC Outsole hardness_1

Then we went for the white part, and we can't say we were surprised when our durometer returned a score 28% lower than the previous one. At 60 HC, this material is definitely not the most durable out there!

Nike Air Max SC Outsole hardness_2

We didn't have any big issues with it during our wear tests, but we can't deny we started seeing signs of wear sooner than with many other sneakers.

Test results
Air Max SC 83.5 HC
Average 85.4 HC
We use an average of four tests. The photo shows one of those tests.
Compared to 79 sneakers
Number of shoes
72.9 HC
Outsole hardness
91.3 HC

Outsole durability

Even though we put our Dremel in the most resistant part of the outsole, destroying the material didn't take it too long.

After 22 painful seconds, the Air Max SC ended up with a dent of 1.8 mm, which is way more than average. This means that the constant use of this shoe will definitely make it show signs of wear and tear sooner than later.

Nike Air Max SC Outsole durability-2

Test results
Air Max SC 1.8 mm
Average 1.0 mm
Compared to 79 sneakers
Number of shoes
0.0 mm
Outsole wear
2.0 mm

Outsole thickness

After the disastrous result on our outsole durability test, one would think that Nike went for a big piece of rubber to balance its low durability out.

But... it didn't.

Nike Air Max SC Outsole thickness_1

At 5.0 mm, it's lower than average. However, we can understand the brand's decision. After all, if it went for a big rubber chunk, the weight of the Air Max SC would increase, and we definitely don't want that!

Nike Air Max SC_outdoor_04

Test results
Air Max SC 5.0 mm
Average 5.4 mm
Compared to 80 sneakers
Number of shoes
3.1 mm
Outsole thickness
12.5 mm

Misc

Grip / Traction

We found this shoe's outsole a little bit lacking, to be honest. After our analysis, we understood here's where Nike decided to save money.

Nike Air Max SC_outdoor_010

For a start, the lack of rubber coverage makes it more vulnerable to abrasion. We already checked this on our outsole durability test, but that was when we were in the lab! During our wear tests, we could also see some signs of wear and tear.

Then, this model features the iconic waffle sole by Nike, but just in the forefoot and midfoot. More towards the heel, the lugs get bigger and the rubberized area has a linear pattern. The traction was alright, but nothing crazy. Also, be careful with slippery and wet floors!

Nike Air Max SC_outdoor_016

All in all, we just wished Nike would've gone for a full rubber outsole. But for 90 bucks, we really can't complain!

Reflective elements

This is a budget shoe, so it's not like we expected it to have reflective elements at all.

When we took it to our lab we discovered that, unsurprisingly, it doesn't feature any.

Nike Air Max SC Reflective elements_1

Test results
Air Max SC No

Tongue padding

The 7.0 mm of padding of this shoe's tongue were perfect to keep its design lightweight and comfortable.

Nike Air Max SC Tongue padding_1

We didn't have to deal with any kind of lace bite, and our instep was protected enough to tighten the laces if we wanted or need to!

Nike Air Max SC_outdoor_015

Test results
Air Max SC 7.0 mm
Average 9.1 mm
Compared to 80 sneakers
Number of shoes
0.7 mm
Tongue padding
38.4 mm

Heel tab

This Nike doesn't have any kind of heel tab, but we didn't feel like we needed it anyway.

Nike Air Max SC_outdoor_08

It features the brand's name and logo, as well as the name of the collection. To us, this is a nice and clean touch that just adds even more points to the Air Max SC's already impressive aesthetics.

Test results
Air Max SC None

Removable insole

The shoe features a removable insole, which means that you can wear your own orthotics.

Nike Air Max SC Removable insole_1

We really liked the contrasting color of this colorway. And it's always great news that you can add the insole you need or want to use!

Nike Air Max SC Removable insole_2

Test results
Air Max SC Yes