Nike Air Max Triax 96 Returns in OG "USA" Colorway
24 years after debuting at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.
Nike Sportswear began re-releasing the Air Max Triax 96 at the tail end of 2019 in anticipation of the Tokyo Olympic Games, a bringback that’s set to culminate with the silhouette’s most memorable colorway: “USA.” Made famous by legendary American sprinter Michael Johnson at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, the Triax was the pinnacle of Nike Running tech when it first released, and was worn by Johnson and his other Nike-endorsed teammates.
Thankfully, this “USA” revival is true to the original. Bases are built from a sporty blue mesh, and overlaid with white leather pieces both flat and textured plus swatches of blue nubuck. Small red Swooshes are rimmed in gold thread on both the lateral and medial midfoot, with USA-centric branding appearing on both the rubberized heel badge and flag-patterned tongue tag.
Final dashes of gold and white branding are scattered around toeboxes and heels. If you peer into the insole, you’ll even see a full USA Track & Field graphic. Down below, sleek EVA foam midsoles ensconce an oblong Air Max unit in the heel and navy blue BRS 1000 outsoles complete the look. This isn’t the first time Nike Sportswear has brought performance-turned lifestyle kicks out of the vault for the Summer Games: 2016 saw the Air Zoom Spiridon, Air Zoom Talaria, Air Max BW and more get dressed up in USA-centric colors.
If you’re looking to throw it back to ‘96, the Nike Air Max Triax 96 “USA” is available now via the Nike webstore, retailing for $140 USD.
Heading to Japan, the Air Max Triax 96 and Air Max Tailwind IV recently released in a polka-dotted “Nippon” pack that pays homage to Tokyo.
