When designing the original Air Max Plus, Sean McDowell drew inspiration from nature, incorporating technical features and colorways that reflected the beauty of the natural world. As a runner himself, McDowell prioritized performance and safety, thus adding reflective bars to the shoe's toe box and tongue for enhanced visibility during low-light conditions. This design element quickly became one of the most recognizable features of the Air Max Plus silhouette. In March 2019, Nike released an updated version of the Air Max Plus called the 'Miami Vice', which boasted a striking combination of Fuchsia and Light Blue overlays on a sleek black mesh upper.