John Kim 
This weekend, Nike will officially launch the Air Max 90 in its original form, and the iconic “Infrared” will certainly reprise its role. There’s no denying that this awesome running silhouette, designed by none other than Tinker Hatfield, is responsible for enhancing the retro phase for Nike, and with popularity that knows no bounds, it can be argued that the Air Max 90 is the most popular Nike running sneaker of all-time.
To celebrate 25 years of Air Max 90, we looked back at the timeline of this sneaker to hand-select the best to have ever released, and during our retrospective, we noticed that every phase of this silhouette has been outstanding; the original colorways were a hit, the collaborations in the 2000s were legendary, and the enhanced versions in recent years were impressive. Read on below.
“Bacon” by DQM
This sneaker really needs to introduction – this awesome partnership between Nike and Dave’s Quality Meats is a frequent selection in “best of” lists, and it’s definitely among the best Air Max releases of all-time, period.
“Hot Lime”
The “Hot Lime” is the first of several OG colorways you’ll see on this list. We’ll start with “Hot Lime”, which released just twice more in limited fashion over the years. In fact, Hot Lime retros never actually released in the States.
“Clerks” by Size?
The Nike “Clerks” Pack of the 2005/2006 featured some true gems, like this pink, blue, and brown pair produced by Size? in the UK. The colorway itself is inspired by London’s Brighton Beach and features soft suedes and croc-skin uppers.
“Warhawk”
One of the craziest Air Max 90s to ever release is the “Warhawk” from 2007’s Armed Forces Pack. Taking inspiration from the P-40 Warhawk fighter plane from WW2, Nike transferred the iconic colors and jagged teeth for a true eye-catcher.
“Tongue in Cheek” by Dizzee Rascal and Ben Drury
One of the rarest Air Max 90s ever released was this outstanding pair designed by UK hip-hop artist Dizzee Rascal and designed Ben Drury. These commemorated Dizzee’s new album “Tongue in Cheek” and released exclusively at 1948 (now a NikeLab location).
“Silver Surfer”
Before the massive Marvel craze came this underrated “Silver Surfer” pair. There never was much hoopla around these, but the clean colorway, sheer wire mesh toe-box, and Silver Surfer insoles made these a collectors item
“Navigation” by Jeff Staple
After setting the sneaker world ablaze with the Pigeon Dunks, Jeff Staple was tasked with another NYC-inspired Air Max 90 release. The laser graphics you see are an aerial map of the borough of Manhattan. Men’s and women’s colorways were created, but we’re setting the latter apart here.
“Moon Landing”
These days, it’s a rare occurrence for an out-of-nowhere shoe to become some a legend. That’s the case with the “Moon Landing”, aptly tied to the Air Max 90 Lunar; it released around the time of Neil Armstrong’s famous walk on the moon and was accentuated with 3-d like lunar graphics and patriotic colors on the heel badges.
“Spruce Lime”
Another OG banger is the “Spruce Lime” that paired a evergreen teal with bright lime tones. These were never made available outside of the original ’91 release and the JD Sports exclusive in 2008.
“Hufquake” by HUF
Keith Hufnagel’s “Hufquake” print deserves proper mention on this list thanks to their Air Max 90 collaboration in 2007. The print, which mimicked cracked pavement, is inspired by the earthquakes that have become part of the city’s history.
“Reverse Infrared”
You won’t find too many GR releases on this list, especially if they dropped in the 2010s. But this random drop that hit chain retailers were a low-key hit for taking the original Infrared mix and color-blocking the familiar hues in “reverse” fashion. Since then, several other renditions have released, but these deserve a mention here.
“Mowabb”
Nike revived the OG “Mowabb” color way on a number of Retro models, but the Air Max 90 spiced things up a bit with the snakeskin upper, the “King of the Mountain” on the heel, and the artwork displayed on the soles.
“Python”
Before python print became exhausted in recent years, Nike gave the slithery material some shine with these two dope releases in 2003. The Air Max 90 and Air Trainer 1 both donned this grey python material and after its release, python material was put back in the vault.
“Independence Day”
Kanye West was and still is the most influential style icon, and these Independence Day Air Max 90s are proof of that. This patriotic trio was merely a QS-type release, but once ‘Ye had ’em on, resale prices skyrocketed. Still, it was a brave move for Nike to release an all-red shoe while the Red Yeezy 2 release was still a big question mark.
“Sertig”
The cult followers of the Nike Terra Sertig trail shoe were stoked when this special Air Max 90 release hit stores shelves in 2005. At the time, speckle print was used very selectively.
“Kaws”
Nike teamed up with legendary NYC artist Kaws for a set of footwear releases that accentuated his signature XX marks. The release was a delightfully simple; the all-white upper featured a new mesh toe and heel and succinct hits of Volt.
“Homegrown” by Patta
Amsterdam’s Patta is another influential sneaker shop that needs to introduction. Their “Homegrown” release was a nod to a popular recreational drug (an Amsterdam institution) and featured orange accents and a gum sole.
“Sunburst”
Another JD Sports exclusive makes this exclusive list, and for good reason. The “Sunburst” release from 2008 was a nod to yet another OG color way, only this pair had stronger vibrance in the sunburst orange.
“Tiger Camo”
There’s a bit of a controversy regarding whether or not atmos really designed the shoe. What we do know is that the Japanese retailer got the exclusive first release, but eventually the shoes hit select shops a few weeks after. Still, the prints and colors were matched perfectly and this release is deserving of a spot.
“Escape II”
Nike recently revived the “Escape” Pack with a fresh new take of colors, but the original version of 2003, which paired some tan tones with a royal blue is still one to celebrate the most.
“Crepe”
Another amazing release from the mid-2000s is the “Crepe”, which was joined by the Air Max 1 and Air Burst in a special edition Pack concept. Unlike the Air Max 1, which featured an actual crepe sole, the Air Max 90 opted for clean gum to match the hemp upper.
“Courier”
Denim on sneakers should always be questioned, but the “Courier” blue pair from 2002 deserves a pass. What made these pretty incredible was the Air Max badge on the upper was embroidered on. The fact that these were a women’s release made ’em harder to find.
“Laser Pink”
Original Air Max 90 color blocking, which consisted of white leather uppers, white mesh, and a pairing of two standout colors, was always a win. The women’s “Laser Pink” is quite the alluring presence, much like the other OGs mentioned here.
“Grid Pack”
Nike Sportswear began experimenting with variations of their Air Max models. One of the greater concepts was the Air Max 90 Flywire, which implemented the tough threads on the one-piece upper while adding a Free-grooved sole at the forefoot.
“Infrared”
We end this list with the boldest, brightest, and most recognizable color way in the history of Air Max. Even though the shoes re-released several times in a wide array of styles, you can’t contend its place as an icon in Nike history.
