Why Milan Fell in Love with the Air Max 97 ‘Le Silver’
The ‘Silver Bullet’ tore through Milan during the late 1990s. Modelled on Japanese bullet trains, the metallic, iridescent silhouette was shaped like industrialised liquid, firing up the dreams of Italian futurism, and forging deep connections to a variety of the country’s subcultures. Drug dealers, DJs, rich kids, poor kids, models, footballers and gabbers all laced the shoe affectionately dubbed ‘Le Silver’. Beneath Milan, the graffiti group ‘Lords of Vetra’ bombed the city’s entrails, lighting up the underground with the Air Max 97’s polyurethane midsoles and supersonic 3M reflective speed trails. We linked up with Sha Ribeiro, a photographer and former member of the Lords of Vetra, to find out how the ‘Silver Bullet’ managed to emblazon a whole city.