The 10 Most Iconic Nike Colourways of All-Time

When it comes to designing legendary sneakers, it’s safe to say that Nike has created some pretty epic offerings over the years. While a lot of this is regarding the silhouette, it’s important to mention that a great colourway also adds a huge amount of wealth to a good sneaker design. Colourways exaggerate the design of a sneaker, playing on the aesthetics to form a memorable look that consumers will want to wear. Here at The Sole Supplier we’re firm believers that colourways are an essential part of the formula when creating an iconic sneaker, so we’ve decided to delve into the history books and check out some of the best Nike colourways of all time.

Check out the list below for our choices as well as some background information on the history of these colourways and where they’ve appeared over the years. Keep it locked in right here for all the latest sneaker news and updates and while you’re here be sure to check out the rest of our site!

First introduced in 1987 as the OG colourway of none other than the Air Max 1 (designed by the legendary Tinker Hatfield), University Red is without a doubt one of the most recognisable colour schemes ever launched by Nike. Showcasing hits of red, white and grey, this colourway has graced some of the most legendary silhouettes over the years (the Air Jordan 3, Air Max 90 and Air Huarache to name but a few), but it will always resonate the strongest with the Air Max 1. Last launched back in 2017 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the AM1, could it be time for the Air Max 1 “University Red” to return soon?

Sneakers don’t get much more wearable than the legendary Nike Air Max 97 “Silver Bullet”, and for the most part it’s because of the simply epic colourway. Nike designed Christian Tresser was influenced by the futuristic design of high-speed Japanese “bullet trains” during a trip to Tokyo in the mid-90s, later incorporating this design language into the silhouette and colour scheme of the OG AM97. Metallic silver is accentuated with hits of red, white and black, with this iconic colourway also making it onto other sneakers such as the Air Max Plus, Air Max 270 and Air Max 95 over the years.

Referring to a singular shade of rich purple, Nike’s “Viotech” colour has graced plenty of memorable releases over the years after it first appeared as part of the Nike Dunk Low Pro B “Rainbow” Co.JP back in 2001. One year later it appeared again in perhaps it’s most famous appearance as part of the atmos x Nike Air Max 1 “Viotech” - the first ever Air Max 1 to feature a mini-Swoosh logo on the mudguard. This colourway was then replicated on the Air Max 95 in 2003. Since then, the OG Dunk Low was reissued in 2013, along with the Air Max 90 “Viotech” that launched in 2019.

Along with the famed “Infrared” OG colourway of the Air Max 90, another often-overlooked Laser Blue version was also launched. This OG release is well-loved by sneakerheads across the globe and since then we’ve seen this beautiful combination of blue, white, grey and black appear on other models such as the Air Max 95, Air Jordan 1 and even the Nike SB Dunk Low. If you’re searching for an effortlessly-clean pair of summer kicks then you can seldom go wrong with this iconic offering.

Debuting as the OG colourway for the Air Max 95 back in 1995, “Neon” has since become a cult-classic with die-hard Nike fans due to just how wearable it is. Sergio Lozano was said to be inspired by human anatomy when creating the AM95, although this head-turning colour combination shows no similarities to colours seen on any human being, instead opting for neon green and a black/grey colour gradient. In fact, this colourway is so popular that it’s also appeared on the Air Jordan 4, Air Max 1, and even a pair of Uptempo soccer cleats that launched as part of Odell Beckham Jr.’s signature range.

Let’s face it, the OG colourway of Michael Jordan’s first-ever signature Nike sneaker was always going to go down in history, but what makes this colour combination even more interesting is the controversial story behind it. At the time when the sneakers debuted, a league-wide NBA rule was in place that demanded sneakers to be mostly white and to be colour-coordinated with teams’ uniforms. The Air Jordan 1 “Bred” didn’t comply with either of these requirements, meaning that Michael Jordan was hit with a $5000 fine every time he stepped foot on the court wearing them, with Nike allegedly covering these costs as part of their marketing efforts for the sneaker.

Originally launched as part of a collaboration with New York City sneaker boutique Dave’s Quality Meat in 2004, the Nike Air Max 90 “Bacon” is a sneaker of epic proportions. Inspired by pork meat, hits of pink, off-white and red come together crafted with premium fabrics to form an epic combination that is easily one of the most-loved colourways to ever exist. For many years these were the unattainable holy grail for sneakerheads, although they were finally treated to a re-release in 2021, meaning a whole new generation of sneakerheads finally had the chance to rock this incredible release.

Unsurprisingly, Japanese sneaker retailer atmos Tokyo has popped up in this list once again, although this time around we’re referencing the “atmos Elephant” colourway that was first released as part of a wider “Zoo Pack” back in 2006. The legendary elephant print pattern first-seen on the Air Jordan 3 is complemented with hits of black, white and teal aqua, forming an incredibly pleasant combination of colours that was said to be inspired by bathing elephants. The aforementioned Air Max 1 was granted a re-release in 2017 after it was voted back by fans as part of an Air Max Day competition, and we later saw the same colourway grace the Nike SB Dunk Low in 2020.

Just in case there weren’t enough legendary red Nike colourways in existence, in 1990 Tinker Hatfield treated sneaker fans to the OG rendition of the AM90, aptly titled “Infrared”. Hits of red are paired with neutral grey, black and white to form a suitably-athletic looking mix, with plenty of re-releases over the years ensuring that sneaker fans of all ages have been able to pick up this desirable pair. We’ve also seen this colourway hit other iconic models such as the SB Dunk Low, the lesser-seen Air Max 2014 and more recently the Air Jordan 4.

Last but not least, it’s only fair that we include the “Purple Punch” colourway in this list. Originally debuted as one of the early Air Huarache colourways in 1991 (although not an OG release), this clean pairing is headed up by a rich purple hue that’s then accentuated with base layers of white and black, creating a suitably eye-catching appearance. The Air Huarache “Purple Punch” has since returned to sale three times, although only the 2018 release boasted the original Nike Air tongue branding. Back in 2020 we also saw this colourway appear on the Air Max 1 as part of the “CH.1 DNA” pack that swapped classic Air Max 1 and Huarache colourways between their original silhouettes.