2025.03.26

What Impact Did the Original High-Tech Sneaker "Nike Air Max 95" Have on the Sneaker Industry on Its 30th Anniversary?

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Born in 1995, "Nike Air Max 95" is a masterpiece that has made a mark in sneaker history. Its innovative design and colorways shocked the world. This model, still immensely popular today, celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. We spoke with Katsushige Kamamoto, the representative of "Sneaker Shop SKIT," about the history, backstory, and allure of this special model.

"Air Max 95" Disappeared from Stores due to Celebrity Endorsements

"Air Max 95" transformed the Japanese sneaker scene. It was the first model in Nike's Air series to make the air in the forefoot visible. What concept gave rise to this shoe? Kamamoto explains:

The so-called “Yellow Gradient” model of "Air Max 95" features a neon yellow gradation that symbolizes the model's popularity. This is the 2020 reissue model, priced at 44,000 yen (tax included).

The designer was Sergio Lozano, who was still a relatively junior employee in his fourth year at the company. He drew inspiration from human anatomy books, designing the shoe to evoke human skin, muscles, and ribs.

Previously, visible air was limited to the heel, but with this model, it was made visible all the way to the forefoot. The gradient color is inspired by the structure of the human body.

Interestingly, at the time of its release, it wasn't that popular in Japan. As it was categorized as a running shoe, I saw high school track athletes wearing them for training. The cushioning was good due to the air included, but it had durability issues because of the many seams on the sides, making it less suitable for serious use.

However, street skaters quickly caught onto the trend, so we did see some people wearing this model.

The surge in popularity in Japan can be attributed to Ichiro's appearance in a Mitsuya Cider poster, Ryoko Hirosue in a Docomo beeper commercial, and comedian duo "London Boots Ichi-go Ni-go" wearing them in a fashion magazine, all of which played major roles.

Back in the 1990s, before the prevalence of smartphones and the internet, television and magazines were the most powerful sources of information. Additionally, there are stories about how "Air Max 95" suddenly vanished from stores after Takuya Kimura was featured on the cover of the New Year special issue of "Shukan Asahi" in 1996, wearing the red version at the dawn of the year 1996.