Nike Celebrates 30 Years of the Air Max 90 With Recrafted "Sail" Colorway

Nike‘s Air Max 90 is set to celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2020, but the Swoosh is kicking off the celebrations early with a recrafted “Sail” style. Since debuting in 1990, the Tinker Hatfield-designed silhouette has been tremendously influential in both the performance and lifestyle spheres, offering both the largest visible Air Max unit of any Nike silhouette at the time of its release and a textured, paneled upper that allows for a plethora of different color schemes.

Now firmly established as a fashion staple, the Air Max 90 is heading back to its roots by reviving its OG shape with this “CS” makeup. The monochromatic “Sail” palette seen here shifts focus to construction instead of color, cleverly highlighting each original piece by presenting it in a simple fashion. Of major note is the panel scale, as the high-cut mudguard comes significantly closer to the collar than it did on previous retro releases. The toe box’s height is adjusted, and the signature rubber badge on the heel presents a slightly shifted shape as well. The inner lining has also been made plusher for additional comfort. All these details combine to make the AM90 “CS” the most true-to-the-original re-release yet. Meanwhile, oval lace deubres read “1990” and “2020,” nodding to the shoe’s lauded three-decade lifespan.

However, there’s one more “easter egg” that’s sure to delight Air Max loyalists: the bottom of the sockliner features a printed graphic of an Air Max 1 outsole. This is a clever nod to another tremendously influential Air Max silhouette — one that debuted 3 years before the Air Max 90 and was the first-ever Nike sneaker to feature visible Air technology. These 90s also come packaged in an original hazard-striped slim box for a final nod to the silhouette’s genesis.

The Nike Air Max 90 CS will release on December 21 via Nike SNKRS and select stockists. A retail price has yet to be announced. Recrafted takes on OG Air Max 90 colorways will also follow over the course of 2020.

For more Max, check out UNDEFEATED‘s eight-pair Air Max 90 collection, inspired by classic motorcycle jackets.