There’s a month-long party going on at Nike in celebration of the 30th birthday of Air Max. One of the shoes getting a re-release is the Nike Air Max 1 atmos Elephant, winner of the Air Max Day 2016 Vote Back campaign.

But, how did the "Chosen 1" come to life? How did it become so iconic and revered by many?

As a retailer hailing from Tokyo, Japan, what some call the global epicentre of sneaker collecting, atmos has had a long standing relationship with Nike. Working on their first collaboration back in 2001, one of atmos’ most revered collaborations was the elephant print and jade accented Air Max 1, released in 2007.

For atmos’ creative director, Koji, the inspiration was simple and straightforward. Coupling elephant print with vibrant jade accents, the combo was born from the atmos team’s love for the Air Jordan III and this idea of an elephant showering in the wild. Adding to the idea’s organic appeal, bringing elephant print to an Air Max was something Koji had longed to do before ever working on the 2007 collaboration.

Now a decade later, the design is back on shelves thanks to votes from all over the globe, complete with all the classic elements, and most importantly, a stamp of approval from the atmos team that made it all possible.

The Air Max 1 atmos elephant will be released in South Africa this coming weekend on Nike.com and select stores. Price for now is unknown.

UPDATE: R2299 is the retail price online.