3 Best Nike Air Sneakers, 100+ Shoes Tested in 2023

Sheena
Sheena on

When you think of Nike shoes, the very first thing that comes to mind is the Nike Air sneakers. There’s a reason these kick-ass footwear remain still in style and a huge favorite by millions of sneakerheads around the world. If you want great design, comfort, and performance, this is it.

You have to start with the Nike Air Force 1 line-up if you want classic Swoosh designs that look good in everything. There’s a plethora of styles and hues in this category alone. So you’re in good hands. For running-inspired models, the Nike VaporMax series are your starting line.

There’s a staggering number of choices when it comes to the best Nike Air sneakers. To save you more time, we’ve tested 200+ pairs of them for this guide. Enjoy your hunt starting with these top picks below.

How we test sneakers

All the sneakers in our database go through the same lab tests and performance assessments. Once we have the lab-test results and the evaluations from the wear-testers, we pore over the data for each model and integrate them into our in-depth review. We then pick our best recommendations.

Here’s a break-down of our process:

  • We put in the hours, sweat, and science in each shoe guide we publish. We even use our own money to procure all the sneakers for the tests to ensure complete objectivity and freedom.
  • Once all the shoes are vetted at the RunRepeat lab, we distribute them to our wear-testers for real-world performance evaluation. They put on the Nike Air sneakers through their paces that take around a month. They carefully assess their main features like the fit, in-shoe feel, breathability, weight, durability, arch support, flexibility, price tag, and more.
  • Get more comparable data from experts and thousands of reviews from customers.

Lastly, we give all the pairs of Nike Air sneakers their respective performance ratings. See the CoreScore to find necessary details about a particular model.

Best Nike Air sneakers overall

Nike Air Max 97
Nike Air Max 97

CoreScore

91
Great!
4.5 / 5 from 32,938 users

Pros

  • Good all-season sneaker
  • Good for sockless wear
  • An identifiable piece of fashion history
  • Fits true to size
  • Near indestructible
  • Lightweight
  • Feels as athletic as it looks
  • Great even for winter

Cons

  • Takes some time to wear in
  • Attaches to stains easily

Verdict

What else can be said about the Nike Air Max 97 that hasn't been said before, the shoe has literally had books written about it. It's an athletic, versatile, and comfy sneaker that looks incredible in so many colorways. There's a reason it's been one of Nike's most popular sneakers for decades. Like others in its family, this is a silhouette that will stay relevant for years to come and work with most wardrobes.
Nike Air Max 97 full review

Best value

Nike Air Max 2090
Nike Air Max 2090

CoreScore

90
Great!
4.5 / 5 from 11,129 users

Pros

  • Elastic sock-liner fits like a glove
  • Durable material
  • Flexible, easy to wear in
  • Well-cushioned
  • Flashy Air Max unit
  • Versatile colorways

Cons

  • Futuristic style is a miss
  • Hard to clean
  • Not breathable

Verdict

The Nike Air Max 2090 is a sneaker that was born to be great. As a predecessor of the original Air Max 90 there's plenty of comfort in there to get excited about. Maybe the sneaker's biggest downfall is that it's up against the incredibly designed Air Max shoes that are also being released at the moment.
Nike Air Max 2090 full review
Author
Sheena
Sheena

Sheena is a wordsmith turned sneaker addict. Her sneaker fixation intensified as her passion for writing grew. A hands-on mom of two sweet yet spunky kids (plus three dogs and two cats), she finds solitude in leafing through shoe catalogs to find the next "it" sneaker. Scrutinizing hugely popular and underrated kicks is her favorite pastime.