Released date - 2000
This may surprise you, but the Nike Air concept was first developed in the late 1970s. Since then, Nike has been constantly improving the concept of shock absorption in its footwear and has introduced the Nike Air concept for sports such as American Football, Basketball, Running, and others. It was only a matter of time before football had its own version and this was introduced in the mid-1990s.
Nike made its first attempt at incorporating an air cushioned bubble into its football boots in 1994, when they released the Nike Air Rio Zoom, which used the framework of the mega successful Nike Tiempo. Although it was not the most successful model, Nike created the Air GX in 1995 and it was adopted by many top professional players.
Nike's primary focus shifted to speed boots and its famous mercurial lineup, and it wasn't until the year 2000 that they returned to the project, releasing the Nike Air Zoom Total 90 I.
The Nike Air Zoom T90 I was a completely new design that stood apart from the older Tiempo and the most recent Mercurial. This time, the air bubble created for shock absorption was based unit in the heel of the boot (rather than the front as it is now), had a-symmetrical lacing, and was launched with a massive marketing campaign.
This was the first Nike T90 to be made, and it featured a KNG-100 (Kangalite) upper, which was also used in the Mercurial line.
It had a completely unique design. For a cleaner ball strike, the lateral lacing was moved to the outside of the boot rather than in the middle. A small, fold-over tongue covered this. Over the course of two years, five different colorways were released.
This boot was created for the world's most technically gifted players. Francesco Totti, the captain of Roma and an Italian legend, was among the first to be seen wearing the silo. Davids, Nakata, Thuram, and Seedorf soon followed. All of which were featured in the Nike Mission ad to commemorate the silhouette's release.
In search of a silver T90 ball, the star-studded lineup invaded Rome's Square Colosseum - here's the video in case you missed it!
Did you own a pair of the Nike Air Total 90 and do you think Nike should remake them?