The Levi’s x Nike Air Max 95, which got its initial release on Thursday and will drop again Friday, has been one of the high points for a summer dominated by the sneaker celebrating its 30th anniversary. Should you miss out, though, a suitable alternative may be found in a new Big Bubble colorway on the way soon.
A blue gradient defines the Nike Air Max 95 Big Bubble “Obsidian,” giving the shoe an appearance not too dissimilar from Levi’s indigo denim AM95s. From the top down, the shades of blue get darker through the shoe’s hallmark wavy stripes, while a few shades of navy are applied to the toe cap, tongue, mustache and mesh. A sole unit then hosts an icy blue Big Bubble Air unit in the heel.
Nike has made a big splash for the Air Max 95’s 30th anniversary, beginning with the return of original “Neon” colorway with a Big Bubble Air unit more proportionate to the model’s run-up through the early ’00s. Through spring and summer, the Swoosh has followed up with numerous colorways for the Big Bubble Air Max 95, both new and old, as well as a “Reverse Neon” variant inspired by designer Sergio Lozano’s original sketches and released exclusively through the Museum of Modern Art.
Recent collaborations include Corteiz’s “Honey Black” colorway and a release with Korean boutique Worksout limited to just 3,000 pairs, and more is to come with “Yu-Gi-Oh!” and Eric Koston with Nike SB later in the year.
“The [Air Max 95] really looked and felt like the future when it came out, and that’s also part of what helps it stay relevant now,” Ben Solomon, a New York-based artist and filmmaker who created a MoMA-commissioned short film about the sneaker’s legacy, told Footwear News in a story on the Air Max 95’s red-hot summer. “It is the best example of a design capturing the feeling of an era. It felt like Nike cracked the code when you started seeing it in the world. That is what a sneaker is supposed to look like.”
The Nike Air Max 95 “Obsidian” doesn’t yet have a firm release date but is expected to release in the near future. Pricing is set at $190.
Nike Air Max 95 Big Bubble “Obsidian” (pair)
Nike Air Max 95 Big Bubble “Obsidian” (lateral)
Nike Air Max 95 Big Bubble “Obsidian” (medial)
Nike Air Max 95 Big Bubble “Obsidian” (above)
Nike Air Max 95 Big Bubble “Obsidian” (heel)
Nike Air Max 95 Big Bubble “Obsidian” (outsole)