Nike Air Max 95 – Behind the Design

In the 90s basketball shoes dominated the sneaker world. Nike's main focus was especially on the Air Jordan brand. In an effort to revive the glory days of Nike's running division, the brand wanted to deviate from the typical Air Max look with the Swoosh and approach the design process from a new perspective. For this project, they hired ACG designer Sergio Lozano. With the Air Max 95, Lozano wanted to recapture the public's attention for the performance running category.

Like every Air Max, there is a story behind the Air Max 95. Air Max father Tinker Hatfield asked Lozano after his initial sketches, "Okay, this is a great design, but what's your story?" Inspiration for the 95 came to him on a rainy day at Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon: "I looked out over the lake at the trees and started imagining the process of rain eroding the earth." He took further influence from the anatomy of the human body, where the shapes of human muscles and whirls were incorporated into the design. The curved midsole represents the human spine. Different layers of the upper represent tissue and muscles, while the lacing system represents the ribs. The first prototype had no Swoosh logo at all. After some back and forth, the minimal branding was eventually incorporated, with an unconventional placement at the back of the shoe.

The Nike Air Max 95 conquers the hip-hop world.

With its unique colorway, Swoosh placement and dual air-filled cushioning system, the Air Max 95 quickly became a pop culture icon. As with many other Nike designs, the hip-hop community has fallen in love with the Air Max 95. The fan base ranges from Eminem, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Freddo Starr to Warren G. Gucci Mane, Fabolous and Curren$y have even mentioned the shoe in their songs.

Colorways and Collabos on the Air Max 95

True fans of the AM95 still swear to the grey OG colorway with neon details. Did you know that the OG has been re-released 10 times? But besides the OG colorway, more than 150 colorways have been released on the AM95 in the last 25 years, including dozens of collaborations. Especially colorways like the Air Max 95 "Black Grape" and the Air Max 95 "Freddy Krueger" showcase clean versions of the sneaker, while on the other hand special models like the NFL x Nike Air Max 95 "NFC East" Pack, the Air Max 95 "Country Camo" or the Air Max 95 "Korea" highlight the versatility of the silhouette.

Nike launched several collaborations with the Japanese sneaker store atmos. Models such as the Air Max 95 "Animal Pack", the "We Love Nike" or "Viotech" are still highly sought after in the sneaker world. Other brands like Parra, size?, Carharrt or Commes des Garcons had the opportunity to design their very own Air Max 95 models as well.

How does the Nike Air Max 95 fit?

Like every Air Max sneaker, the Air Max 95 fits perfectly to your foot. So you can't go wrong with your normal size.