The propagation of nonlinear spherically diverging N-waves in homogeneous air is studied experimentally and theoretically. A spark source is used to generate high amplitude (1.4 kPa) short duration (40 μs) N-waves; acoustic measurements are performed using microphones (3 mm diameter, 150 kHz bandwidth). Numerical modeling with the generalized Burgers equation is used to reveal the relative effects of acoustic nonlinearity, thermoviscous absorption, and oxygen and nitrogen relaxation on the wave propagation. The results of modeling are in a good agreement with the measurements in respect to the wave amplitude and duration. However, the measured rise time of the front shock is ten times longer than the calculated one, which is attributed to the limited bandwidth of the microphone. To better resolve the shock thickness, a focused shadowgraphy technique is used. The recorded optical shadowgrams are compared with shadow patterns predicted by geometrical optics and scalar diffraction model of light propagation. It is shown that the geometrical optics approximation results in overestimation of the shock rise time, while the diffraction model allows to correctly resolve the shock width. A combination of microphone measurements and focused optical shadowgraphy is therefore a reliable way of studying evolution of spark-generated shock waves in air.