Nike Revitalizes The Air Max Triax 96 in "Gym Red"

Lately, Nike has dug especially deep into its ’90s running shoe vaults, and the latest example of this is revitalization is a classic performance silhouette: the Air Max Triax 96 in colorways like “Gym Red.” Following other retro runners like the Air Max 2 Light and Air Ghost Racer, the Triax 96 is now set to see a second life as a heritage-geared lifestyle classic. Most commonly associated with the 1996 Olympic Games and legendary American sprinter Michael Johnson, it’s a silhouette that combines speed and substance in equal measures.

Most of the flair is provided by the bold red mesh base, which is partially adorned with crisp white leather and stark black nubuck overlays with a full-size embroidered Swoosh graphic appearing on the midfoot. A smaller version of the logo graces the toebox on top of an overlay that cleverly serves as the bottom of the shoe’s lacing system. The branding is completed by a blue Swoosh on the heel, special Triax text hits on the tongue’s pull tabs and banners on the insoles. Down below the midsole presents a slimmed-down heel Air Max unit, in stark contrast to the other Max models of the era that featured a more aggressive construction like the Air Max 95.

A release date has yet to be announced, but you can expect an arrival in the coming weeks at retailers like Noir Fonce and Nike’s own site with an MSRP of €140 EUR (approximately $154 USD). More in-line colorways — potentially even the memorable “Olympic” makeup — are sure to follow shortly thereafter.

In the meantime, check out the Doernbecher edition of the Air Max Triax 96, recently unveiled as part of the 2019 Doernbecher Freestyle collection alongside other designs like Air Jordan 14s and Air Force 1s.