Prepare for orbit, the Nike Air Max 95 “Comet Red” 2026 is about to land. A cult favourite among the 110 community, especially with the Japanese sneakerhead, it’s been over a decade since we last got a retro…or is it?

I first came across the “Comet Red” 110s when working at the Size? Manchester store back in 2021 - well, at least I thought I thought that was the case.

When searching the history of this particular Air Max 95 colourway, most blogs detailed the original 1996 version, the leather edition from 1998, as well as the following two retro’s in 2003 and 2010. So if we are to go off of that list, then it would be 16 years since we last saw the “Comet Red” hit shelves, just like with the “Apple Green” 110s.

The first time I found out about this original 110 colourway was in the stockrooms of the Manchester Size? store back in 2021. Arriving in yet another weekday store delivery, I opened the crate and pulled out this tasteful '90s cult classic. That version was nicknamed the “Comet Japan”, or “Smoke Grey” according to Nike SNKRS, a shoe that most outlets fail to mention when discussing the "Comet Red" Max 95s. Why is that?

While that version does boast additional detailing, such as Japanese text on the top eyelets, a unique shank plate design and textured canvas upper – the shoe is basically the  “Comet Red” in with a few extra bells and whistles.

I suppose it depends on how strict you are when it comes to retro colourways, a discussion that could be better suited for The Sole Supplier app’s Community thread.

Seeing as the industry isn’t counting that 2021 version, it has been over 15 years since we last saw the “Comet Red”. But why was the shoe given the “Comet Red” name? Well, according to the internet, no one really knows, no one except Sergio Lozano and the colourists from that Swoosh era…assuming it wasn't just the marketing team knocking out the best names at the Nike Portland HQ back in 1995.

My best guess is the Swoosh wanted to centre its marketing spiel around space and innovation. Afterall, Air Max was introduced by ex-Nasa employee Frank Rudy, a literal rocket scientist. Just check out how the brand moved from naming the Air Max 1 "University Red", to monikers such as the Air Max 3 "Radient Red" and Air Max 95 "Neon". We can see the theme continued over a decade later when Nike released the “Solar Red” in 2011.

If you ask me on my deeper take, then I think the colourway name was inspired by the red shift that occurs when observing coma via a telescope, an occurrence that is described as the Doppler effect…but that’s really delving into sneaker nerdery.

The 2026 version has already seen an Asia-Pacific release, available at Japanese retailer atmos since April. Unfortunately these come with a standard red Nike box, so if you thought about adding this to your stack of neon boxes, you can kiss those dreams goodbye. 

However, you can expect this version to land with a suede upper, staying true to its OG form, unlike the 1998 drop that adopted a leather upper. If you want more examples of the "Comet Red" Air Max 95s being worn by those who were 'outside' back in the '90s, then head over to @noideaisoriginal's page, he's curated a great collection of people wearing classics before all the hype.

Regardless, we’re happy to see the return of this OG colourway, and I’m sure there are a few 110 heads who are also glad to see these back on the shelves.

Dropping on the 22nd of May 2026 via the Nike SNKRS app and UK stockists, we definitely recommend setting up a release reminder for this OG 110 colourway.