Two years ago, marketing executive and craft beer enthusiast Craig Stroud invited friends out for pints at Monday Night Garage in Atlanta’s West End.
During the impromptu sipping session, Stroud noticed that several members of the group were posting pictures of their shoes on social media, in honor of Air Max Day, an annual March event in which sneakerheads worldwide celebrate one of Nike’s most popular shoes.
“We were all just hanging out, and it was a good vibe,” he said. “I still hadn’t really put together that this was going to be a thing, but I knew there was something I wanted to do.”
After visiting Inner Voice Brewing in Decatur, Stroud also noticed that Rhett Caseman, Inner Voice’s cofounder, regularly wears Nike Air Max sneakers to work.
Stroud came up with a concept and decided to test it. His plan was to host a yearly event in collaboration with a local brewery to celebrate the Nike Air Max 1 shoe, uniting fans of sneakers and craft beer.
Ale Max Day was launched in 2023 at Inner Voice Brewing.
Credit: John R. Walder
Credit: John R. Walder
Stroud, who spent six years consulting and designing campaigns for Coca-Cola, partnered with Atlanta-based beer writer Dennis “Ale Sharpton” Byron, cofounder of the National Black Brewers Association, to help promote Ale Max Day and plan the event.
On the day of the first can launch last year, the lines were wrapped around Inner Voice with guests filling up the taproom and dining area wearing their favorite styles of Air Max shoes.
Credit: John R. Walder
Credit: John R. Walder
Cans of Ale Max 1, a hazy India Pale Ale, were sold out an hour after the event started. Stroud and Byron knew Ale Max Day was a success.
“People come out for music, sneakers and brew,” Sharpton says. “We support and look out for each other, and this event is a perfect fusion of those worlds.”
“It took on a life of its own, and it was serendipitous how it all came together,” Stroud says.
Credit: John R. Walder
Credit: John R. Walder
This year, on March 22, Stroud and Byron are teaming with Monday Night Garage to release a new limited edition of Ale Max 1, an India Pale Ale made with a variety of hops, including citra, mosiac and strata.
The new 16-ounce Ale Max Day cans come in red and black lettering, displaying graphics inspired by the original shoe conceived by revered sneaker designer Tinker Hatfield in 1987.
The IPA’s alcohol content, 7.891%, is the shoe’s origin year backwards.
Credit: Brooke Aiau
Credit: Brooke Aiau
“Each year will be a different thing, and each brewery will bring their own flavor to it, intentionally,” Stroud said. “We want the personalities of these brewers to come out, and create maximum flavor and complexity.”
Stroud says sneaker and craft beer launches aren’t much different from one another.
“Seeing people get there and line up out the door like we were selling sneakers was a really cool thing,” he said. “People not big into craft beer came out for the sneakers, and those not into shoes came out for the beer.”
Credit: John R. Walder
Credit: John R. Walder
In addition to showing up in their coolest Air Max sneakers, guests are encouraged to bring barely gently worn sneakers to the event. Those shoes are being donated to Gateway Center, a nonprofit located in downtown Atlanta that helps the homeless and veterans.
A portion of beer sales are being donated to PAWKids, an Atlanta nonprofit that provides resources and support for children and families in need.
Ale Max Day is also hitting the road this year for a second event, happening March 23 in Nashville at Bearded Iris Brewing.
“This is a cultural tale that we’re telling about the power of bringing communities together,” Stroud says.
7-11 p.m. Friday, March 22. Free. Monday Night Garage, 933 Lee St. SW, Atlanta. 404-400-5068. https://www.instagram.com/p/C4n5PX0rNzZ/
About the Author
