For hardcore Airmax collectors the Powerwall series is full of underrated gems! That’s if you are lucky enough to find them of course! 

With such rarity and untold truths behind this infamous series it only seemed right to talk to German based collect and Mr. Powerwall himself, Doel! 

Having been collecting the pack for over 10 years he has been able to collect nearly all the pairs within the series making him one of the world’s leading collectors of the Powerwall pack. His passion didn’t stop him there as Doel also was the brain behind the first and one of the only history pieces found on this mythical series!

We spent some time with Doel to talk about his love for the series and also his thoughts on the recent renditions of this Airmax 1 icon!

Footpatrol: Doel welcome! Thanks for working with us on this feature. We are super happy to have you here, how are you?

Doel: Hey guys thanks for having me, I hope you are fine.

I’m doing pretty well so far, despite the tense corona situation. We all have to make the best out of it and stay safe.

FP: Let’s talk shoes! You have got an incredible collection that a lot of Airmax heads would go crazy over, how did you get into collecting sneakers?

Doel: This is a very good question haha. I have always had an unusual taste for shoes, as far as i can remember. I think when I was 12 I started looking out for certain models and specific colors at local stores or on the internet. Just a few years later I went to my first campout.

That made me more and more addicted!!

FP: You’re also known as Mr. Powerwall due to your vast amount of pairs you have collected of Nikes Powerwall series, how many pairs do you think you have?

Doel: Haha yes my friends gave me that name years ago powerwalls (beside lemonades, brs, morning glory) weren’t that popular but I was totally on fire for the whole set.

I have almost 40 of a total of 56 pairs from the Nike Powerwall Pack.

Small sizes are getting harder and harder to find.

FP: There aren’t many others out there that have anywhere near that many! What was it about the Powerwall series that made you want to try and find them all and how long did it take you to find the pairs you have now?

Doel: Yes, despite its ingenious implementation, the set is not necessarily very well known, apart from a few shoes that are among the holy grails of most collectors.

In the beginning I never intended to find them all, but over time and with every new pair I got, my love for this incredible pack grew more and more.

Every single shoe just convinces me from front to back, this love for detail and material mix plus new and old technologies combined on one shoe, plus the story behind each pair.

This is simply crazy and unfortunately nowhere to be found on this scale. Meanwhile it was probably around 11 years that it took me to gather all my pairs!

FP: If you had to pick a Top 3 Powerwalls what would they be and why?

Doel: Oh that is definitely the hardest question, but okay i try:

Nike Air Max 1 “Lemonade”

• it was the second pair I ever owned out of the powerwall pack. That’s the pair that got me addicted. I’ve been absolutely thrilled ever since.

Nike Air Max 90 “Orange Blaze”

• My favorite color is orange! With this heavy color blocking against the black upper and the bright orange midsole, that slightly orange shining laser prints and the excellent mix of materials. I couldn’t help but strike these off the list!

Nike Air Max 93 “Green Bean”

• It’s the ultimate spring shoe in my opinion. This bright, radiant green is simply a hit. Plus all these lovely applications of the details which are usually bright yellow, also reject 3M. Such a beautiful and underrated shoe.

FP: You were also one of the first people to start sharing the Powerwall story with your K’klet article you did sharing the colour breakdowns of each of the packs within the series. Do you think there is enough history surrounding the Powerwall or do you think there should be more for something so big?

Doel: The complete set is full of History!

Just not everyone is so taken with it. I really think most people out there only know the BRS, Lemonade and Morning Glories, as these are very popular, expensive and rare.

It also takes a lot of time, patience and research to collect them or to know about the History because of some half-truths and misunderstandings in some articles/post etc…

There are actually only a handful of collectors who can understand my love and addiction to this pack.

FP: So we asked to speak to you because of the upcoming release of the Nike Airmax 1 ‘Lemonade’. We have already seen the release of the ‘Limeade’ and ‘Strawberry Lemonades’ which is safe to say was hugely popular! What are your thoughts on this pack?

Doel: The Softdrink pack!

Many people expected a 1:1 powerwall retro I think, some are sad, some are on fire. People are 50/50 I think. I really kinda like the new pairs, they’re very much Inspired by the infamous AM1 “Lemonade”, but very different on its own.

The concept of the Limeades is absolutely successful. The dark pine green mudguard and the metallic looking mesh combined with decent yellow accents on the swoosh, the eyelets and the “air” logo on the heel harmonize wonderfully with each other.

As a new eyecatcher the tongue lable and the insoles with fresh lime prints are just right.

All in All, well done!

The only and biggest negative point this time is the choice of materials, because we have all seen some pairs cracking right after the first wear. The 3M cracks even faster than usual.

FP: What about the Lemonade then in particular? They are most definitely one of the nicest colour ways to release on the Airmax 1 this year.  

Doel: Lovely! These fresh, bright and tasteful colors are perfect for summer days.

Each pair impresses with small new details, be it the new tongue label or the inner soles with fresh lime/strawberries/lemons on it.

They’re an absolute eye catcher for me is the metallic looking mesh! I love that on them.

So yes an absolute fire pair for sure.

Small drawbacks, however, are again the choice of materials.

FP: If you had to pick 2 pairs from the pack to create a combination like this one what would you pick and why?

Doel: To be honest, I would leave every pair exactly as it is. Each pair has its own speciality, be it the simplicity, the history, the mix of materials, the bright colors or the tiny little details that immediately catch your eye. Each pair is “perfect” in its own way!!

If I could design a shoe then the powerwall pack would surely be a huge inspiration of mine and you would notice the influence the pack has on me, but I would not change anything about the OG’s.

FP: Well Doel –  Mr. Powerwall our friend, it has been a pleasure to be able to talk to you about your collection! Good luck with hunting for the rest of the pack. We are looking forward to seeing you complete it someday!

Doel: I would like to thank you for the opportunity to talk about my passion, the nike powerwall pack, and maybe to have brought something closer to one or the other.

Have a good time, stay healthy my friends!