Essential But Did Not Make the Cut

Out of the blue, Nike.com had a sale on clearance items where I found these Nike Air Max 1 Essentials. Already discounted, the sale took off an additional 20% so of course, it was a must buy. In black, grey, and orange, it’s easily wearable too.

But when I tried them on, I understood the “Essential” tag. I’ve noticed other designations on the Air Max 1 line – Premium, no designation, and Essential. I’m guessing the Essential model is at the bottom of the pecking order. Don’t get me wrong, these shoes were solidly built and were not “B grade,” but the materials were not of premium quality. The shoe itself felt a little stiff and not that comfortable. So while I loved the colorway and the price, this Essential wasn’t so, not making the cut, and easily returned to Nike.com.