The History of the Nike Air Max Penny 1

The History of the Nike Air Max Penny 1

Come for a history lesson on Penny Hardaway’s first signature shoe, stay for the Lil’ Penny commercial.

Matt DeSciora

In 1993, the Chicago Bulls and Nike had the unenviable task of carrying on without Michael Jordan, who after winning three straight NBA Championships, decided to switch careers and pursue his childhood dream of playing professional baseball. Michael’s first retirement from basketball put a damper on the Bulls’ and Nike’s plans, but it wasn’t all bad. In Nike’s case, the brand focused on developing new stars to market, like Charles Barkley, the league’s reigning MVP in ‘93, and Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway, an up-and-coming superstar with the Orlando Magic. This would begin an exciting new chapter in Nike’s basketball sneaker history.

Between Barkley and Hardaway, it was the latter who benefited the most from Jordan’s time in minor league baseball in the mid-1990s. (Well, aside from the Houston Rockets and Hakeem Olajuwon, who won back-to-back NBA Championships and MVP Awards in ‘94 and ‘95, respectively.) Penny’s twitchy style of play and flair for the dramatics made for must-see TV. Standing 6-foot-7, he could see over the top of opposing point guards, and had an uncanny ability to whip passes on a whim. Comparisons to Magic Johnson were easy to make. With Nike’s help, Penny drew comparisons to another basketball icon—Michael Jordan himself—when the brand launched his debut signature shoe, the Nike Air Max Penny 1, in 1995.

Nike Air Max Penny 1 “Orlando” 2022 Retro

Prior to the Air Max Penny 1, Penny had already been attracting attention from the sneaker community when he wore sneakers like the Nike Air Flight One, a shoe that, depending on who you talk to, may or may not have been his original signature shoe. He also wore the Nike Air Swift and Air Up, in addition to special Player Exclusive Air Jordan 9s. But it was the Air Max Penny 1 that launched one of the most successful signature basketball shoe lines to date.

Designed by Eric Avar, the Penny 1 was one of the first models in Nike’s new Uptempo collection. At the time, Nike’s basketball shoes were split into two categories: Flight, shoes made for agile players who relied on their athleticism; and Force, which were designed for hoopers who mixed it up in the paint. The Uptempo represented a middle ground between the two, as Penny’s “positionless” style of play saw him spend as much time on the wing as he did in the paint.

From a design perspective, the Air Max Penny 1 debuted Penny’s new “1-Cent” logo, a clever detail inspired by Penny’s nickname and his jersey number. The shoe also featured a nod to the Magic with its pinstriped tongue. Other key features include an oversized jeweled Swoosh, and what could be considered the forefather to Foamposite technology, the large foam “wing” on the lateral side. Unlike today, where an athlete’s signature shoe is released in dozens of colorways, only one-and-a-half of which have anything to do with the team they play for, the original Air Max Penny 1 dropped in just three colorways, all “Orlando” inspired: all black, all white, and the most iconic, the black and white “Orlando” edition that just returned for the first time in a decade.

Whereas the new “Orlando’s” return has blogs like this to hype its arrival, the original shoe had Lil’ Penny singing its praises. Voiced by Chris Rock, Lil’ Penny helped promote Penny’s debut signature shoe, and subsequent releases thereafter, and began one of Nike’s most memorable advertising campaigns ever. Commercials like “Los Lobos” above, which launched the series, are inextricably linked to Penny’s signature shoe line with Nike, Penny Hardaway, and ‘90s basketball.

Some 27 years after its debut, the Air Max Penny 1 is back in retro form, and in full family sizing for the first time. The modern version that’s available now at Stadium Goods is nearly identical to the one that Penny wore while averaging nearly 22 points, 7.1 assists, and 4.3 rebounds over 82 regular season games with the Magic. While it’s true Penny’s Nike Air Foamposite One may have more cultural relevance, the Air Max Penny 1’s impact on sneakers shouldn’t be overlooked. Few models have ever merged the worlds of basketball, sneakers, and entertainment like the Air Max Penny 1.

Shop now:

Men’s Air Max Penny 1 “Orlando”

Grade School Air Max Penny 1 “Orlando”

Also available now is the Social Status x Nike Air Max Penny 1.