SPORTSHOWROOM
Nike Air Max 90

Filter on

  • Sort

  • Gender

  • Brand (Nike)

  • Collection (Air Max 90)

  • Model

  • Collaboration

Nike Air Max 90

Nike Air Max 90

537 articles

A prominent 90s silhouette that had a remarkable impact on sneaker culture.

Nearby
Nike Air Max 90 HF4296-001
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90
  • "Photon Dust & Phantom"
  • $149,99
Nike Air Max 90 FZ5163-133
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90
  • "Vintage Green"
  • $149,99
Nike Air Max 90 Premium FV6059-001
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90 Premium
  • "Burgundy Crush & Vintage Green"
  • $169,99
Nike Air Max 90 FV0381-001
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90
  • "Anthracite & Reflect Silver"
  • $258,49
Nike Air Max 90 GORE-TEX FD5810-201
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90 GORE-TEX
  • "Cacao Wow"
  • $195,99
Nike Air Max 90 GORE-TEX FD5810-101
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90 GORE-TEX
  • "Infrared"
  • $273,70
Nike Air Max 90 GORE-TEX FD5810-002
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90 GORE-TEX
  • "Dark Smoke Grey"
  • $273,70
Nike Air Max 90 FB9657-200
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90
  • "Neutral Olive"
  • $243,29
Nike Air Max 90 DZ4504-300
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90
  • "Olive Reflective"
  • $243,29
Nike Air Max 90 DZ4504-003
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90
  • "Black Reflective"
  • $243,29
Nike Air Max 90 DZ4504-002
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90
  • "Cool Grey"
  • $243,29
Nike Air Max 90 DR0145-003
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90
  • "Iron Grey"
  • $243,29
Nike Air Max 90 DR0145-002
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90
  • "Black & Iron Grey"
  • $243,29
Nike Air Max 90 DM0029-106
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90
  • "Pink Foam & Armory Navy"
  • $155,99
Nike Air Max 90 DH8010-107
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90
  • "Light Bone"
  • $172,99
Nike Air Max 90 DH8010-105
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90
  • "Aster Pink"
  • $138,99
Nike Air Max 90 DH8010-100
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90
  • "Triple White"
  • $170
Nike Air Max 90 DH8010-004
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90
  • "Sand Drift & Light Orewood Brown"
  • $170
Nike Air Max Terrascape 90 DH2973-100
  • Nike
  • Air Max Terrascape 90
  • "Sail & Sea Glass"
  • $243,29
Nike Air Max 90 LTR CZ5594-100
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90 LTR
  • "Triple White"
  • $243,29
Nike Air Max 90 LTR CZ5594-001
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90 LTR
  • "Triple Black"
  • $243,29
Nike Air Max 90 CN8490-100
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90
  • "Triple White"
  • $243,29
Nike Air Max 90 CN8490-003
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90
  • "Triple Black"
  • $243,29
Nike Air Max 90 CN8490-002
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90
  • "Dark Smoke Grey & Black"
  • $243,29
Nike Air Max 90 CN8490-001
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90
  • "Wolf Grey"
  • $243,29
Nike Air Max 90 HQ3828-200
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90
  • "Medium Olive & Cargo Khaki"
Nike Air Max 90 HQ3828-002
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90
  • "Black & Anthracite"
Nike Air Max 90 HQ3817-001
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90
  • "Smoke Grey & Photon Dust"
Nike Air Max 90 Next Nature HQ3812-001
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90 Next Nature
  • "Black & Royal Pulse"
Nike Air Max 90 Drift HQ1416-001
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90 Drift
  • "Triple Black"
Nike Air Max 90 HM0705-100
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90
  • "White & Racer Blue"
Nike Air Max 90 HM0628-001
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90
  • "Black & Speed Yellow"
Nike Air Max 90 HM0625-400
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90
  • "Armory Navy"
Nike Air Max 90 HM0625-002
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90
  • "Cool Grey"
Nike Air Max 90 HM0625-001
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90
  • "Black & Cool Grey"
Nike Air Max 90 EasyOn HJ4540-200
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90 EasyOn
  • "Light Violet"
Nike Air Max 90 EasyOn HJ4539-200
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90 EasyOn
  • "Light Violet Ore"
Nike Air Max 90 Premium HJ3989-001
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90 Premium
  • "Iron Grey"
Nike Air Max 90 HF9383-001
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90
  • "Light Iron Ore & Phantom"
Nike Air Max 90 HF9190-001
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90
  • "Black Rose"
Nike Air Max 90 EasyOn HF6359-003
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90 EasyOn
  • "Cement Grey & Dark Raisin"
Nike Air Max 90 EasyOn HF6359-001
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90 EasyOn
  • "Triple Black"
Nike Air Max 90 HF6358-200
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90
  • "Flax"
Nike Air Max 90 HF6358-104
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90
  • "White & Pink Foam"
Nike Air Max 90 HF6358-101
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90
  • "White & Laser Fuchsia"
Nike Air Max 90 HF6358-004
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90
  • "Smoke Grey & Yellow"
Nike Air Max 90 EasyOn HF6357-200
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90 EasyOn
  • "Flax & Sail"
Nike Air Max 90 HF3835-100
  • Nike
  • Air Max 90
  • "White & Black"

Air Max 90

The year was 1990, and Nike was benefitting from the success of its initial Air Max releases: 1987’s unforgettable Air Max 1 and its follow-up, the Air Max II (or Air Max Light). These designs had brought three years of growth, but with the new decade, it was time for the brand to evolve the budding Air Max line once more. Like with the Air Max 1 before it, this would lead to the creation of another era-defining sneaker, this time in the form of the Nike Air Max 90.

Originally released as the Air Max III in 1990, the Air Max 90 became the first to be named after the year of its release when it was relaunched in the early 2000s. The fact that it could be successfully brought back as a retro design more than a decade after it came out was thanks to the creative vision of its designer, the one and only Tinker Hatfield. Tasked with advancing the Air Max line in both function and style, Hatfield equipped the Nike Air Max 90 with some of the latest technologies, many of which had been pioneered by its predecessors, while also gracing it with a particularly distinctive aesthetic that made it a product of its time. He added Phylon foam midsole technology, which the Light had shown to be less weighty than the polyurethane on the original Air Max, alongside a microfibre mesh and leather upper for improved breathability as well as solid durability. Modern-looking TPU panels similar to those on the previous design appeared across the upper and the heel, their contoured, grated appearance mimicking the aerodynamic fins of sleek supercars like the Ferrari Testarossa to add to the contemporary feel of the shoe.

Like with previous Air Max editions, the Air unit in the heel was a key feature of the design. Whereas the transparent window in the Air Max 1 had sought to show off the brand’s technical advancement, the enhanced Air unit of the Nike Air Max 90 stood out for other reasons. The large, cassette-like TPU panel that surrounded it acted as a bold window, giving the Air Max 90 its own unique character and becoming a trademark of its look. In addition to its attention-drawing size, the piece of thermoplastic could be decorated in captivating colors to highlight the Air unit, and Hatfield was quick to illuminate it with a truly spectacular tone. The release model featured an almost fluorescent shade of orangey red which was originally called Hyvent Orange but later became known as “Infrared”. As well as being fundamental to the initial success of the Air Max 90, it came to be synonymous with the silhouette, many using it as the shoe’s nickname. The vivid red tone put the spotlight on the bigger airbag in the heel, something which Nike were keen to emphasize to those looking for increased cushioning and support. It also appeared on the AM90’s distinctive heel medallion, acting as a bold backdrop to accentuate the Nike Air branding embossed on top of it. In the years since the original came out, many different colors have been applied to these TPU elements, including Nike’s popular shade of lime green called Volt. However, the intensity of the Infrared shade has seen it remain a classic colourway to this day.

Despite its memorable lifestyle aesthetic, the Air Max 90 was actually designed as a running shoe. Its sporting caliber was assured by the cushioning of the bulky heel Air unit, the supportive thick foam midsole, which provided impact protection, and the padded high ankle, tongue and collar, which offered ample support around the foot. While it was clearly a first-class piece of performance equipment, the AM90 was so much more, reflecting a paradigm shift in the language of Nike’s design approach.

In addition to its practical functionality and its captivating use of color, it had a harmonious, flowing style created by the way the midsole merged into the enlarged mudguard, which itself extended upwards to rest against the swoosh. This won the Nike Air Max 90 fans from all sorts of backgrounds, including the club culture that burgeoned in the early nineties. This high-intensity movement brought with it the need for comfortable, stylish trainers that were also robust enough to withstand the rigors of the dance floor, a role that was perfectly suited to the Air Max 90. Meanwhile, in London and Paris, those in the underground hip-hop scene admired the shoe for its grittiness, and British grime artists like Dizzee Rascal helped popularize the sneaker through the 2000s. In the years since, it has continued to display the ability to appeal to people from a range of different cultures and subcultures, bringing it fame and success all around the world.

The distinctive style and social adaptability of the Nike Air Max 90 has seen it become one of the most widely recognised and fully embraced sneakers Nike has ever created, and one of the most successful in the Air Max line. Its supreme levels of comfort and support gave it a distinguished reputation, while its characteristic use of vibrant colors made the hugely influential Air Max 90 a cultural icon that continues to garner new admirers to this day.

Rank the Nike Air Max 90
(12)

SPORTSHOWROOM uses cookies. About our cookie policy.

Continue

Choose your country

Europe

Americas

Asia Pacific

Africa

Middle East