Now that we’ve got the bad news out of the way that there’ll be no SNKRS Day 2024, let’s talk about the good news. If you tuned into the SNKRS Day livestream last year, you may remember that Nike asked fans for their feedback and some extra input on what they’d like to see next year. After taking this onboard, Nike are getting set to release a new exclusive Air Max 95 which is inspired by and designed in partnership with the SNKRS community, as a reward to their members and we were lucky enough to get an early look.
The concept of this exclusive release is beautifully surmised on the inside of the box, “ Nike Air Max 95 as if unearthed by the process of erosion ”. While the official colourway of the shoe is “Summit White/Velvet Brown” or the AM95 "Unearthed", we’ve been referring to this release as the Air Max 95 “Erosion” . The colourway of the shoe takes inspiration from geology and is uniquely split between the medial and lateral sides. The medial panels of the upper are dressed in an earthy brown suede which gradually gets darker further down the shoe, drawing inspiration from the layers of the earth as you may see them on a cliff face. Contrastingly, the lateral panels offer a gradient of violet ash into a deep purple. This choice of colourway likely references the impact of rivers and coasts in erosion over time, with the light untouched stone colour giving way to a dark, moody blue hue.
Taking a closer look at the shoe, it wouldn’t be a release inspired by the SNKRS community without an incredible attention to detail, and that’s exactly what we get. On the heel of the shoe, we see another reference to the geographical inspiration for this shoe, as the heel counter displays a topographical map detail. We’re even treated to some great details underfoot, with the sole of the shoe labelling the PSI of the various Air Max pouches which provide the AM95s incredible comfort.