Dropping a very obscure first look at the upcoming collaboration, Slam Jam is sticking to what it knows best and gone with its dark palette approach. We saw this treatment on the Air Force 1 from 2023, although if this release is anything to go by, we can expect another white Slam Jam Air Max 97 in the near future.

While mostly-black, the Slam Jam is still teeming with details if you know where to look. Head onto the Air unit and you’ll spot what looks like an abstract eye motif, with the unit’s casing blackened out to create a negative image. We have seen the eye-graphic used on another high heat project before, that being the CDG x Supreme AF1, giving off an eerie energy that helps shift the typical feel of the Air Max 97.

As we’re only two months away from the start of 2027, we’re looking forward to seeing what the Air Max 97 rollout will look like. I’m definitely keen to see the “Silver Bullet” retro, as it’s been 5 years since the last one hit shelves in 2022. Although if we’re only getting a black-tongue edition then that excitement could be tempered.

Reception during the 25th anniversary in 2022 was very tame in comparison to the Air Max 97’s moment in 2017, so here’s hoping there has been enough of a break since for the silhouette to hit the ground running.