Loopwheeler Celebrates 20th Anniversary With Nike Air Max 90 Collaboration

After releasing an Air Max 95 last week, Japan’s Loopwheeler and Nike have now presented a collaborative take on the Air Max 90. Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, Loopwheeler is known for its application of traditional cotton-weaving methods and machines, typically utilized for the company’s highly-regarded sweatshirts. The brand is certainly no stranger to Nike Sportswear collaborations either, having worked on silhouettes like the Air Force 1 and Sock Dart in the past. However, this new Air Max presents a style that’s equal parts sweatshirt and sneaker, uniquely cozy in its fabrications.

Where Loopwheeler’s aforementioned Air Max 95 combined multiple textures, the Wakayama Prefecture-based textile experts have constructed the Air Max 90’s upper from a special marbled grey fleece that mixes light and dark shades. This unique base is accented by black hits on the throat, laces and eyestays. Black heel pieces present a Nike logo on the left foot and a Loopwheeler graphic on the right foot, while the black midfoot Swoosh takes on a wool-like construction. Pops of pink and purple neon appear on the tongue tags for the only deviation from the murky palette. A jet-black heel Air Max unit and EVA foam midsole complete the look.

While 2019 marks 20 years in business for Loopwheeler, 2020 is the 30th anniversary of the Tinker Hatfield-designed Air Max 90, so it’s safe to say that this collaboration is arriving at an apt juncture for both parties. The Loopwheeler x Nike Air Max 90 will release exclusively at Nike SNKRS Japan on December 14, with an MSRP of ¥17,600 (approximately $162 USD).

Elsewhere in the world of collaborative footwear, PLEASURES and the estate of Joy Division have readied an ultra-limited take on the Converse Chuck 70.