Supreme x Nike Air Max: Reaching Grail Status

The history of the highly sought after Supreme x Nike Air Max sneaker collaboration goes back to April 2016 with the revival of the Air Max 98 from the Oregon archives.

Considered by some as the sneaker equivalent of The North Face streetwear collaboration to the New York streetwear brand, the Supreme x Nike Air Max collaboration has given us some of the most sought after Nike Air Max releases to date. Up there with the likes of OFF-WHITE, UNDEFEEATED & Patta, the origins of the Swoosh brand & the box logo actually goes back a lot further than their very first Air Max release in 2016. The street appeal of the Nike Air Max trainer across certain parts of Europe & the US, like London & New York, made perfect sense for the Brooklyn brand to stamp their iconic box logo on. As far as Air Max collaborations go, it’s certainly up there as one of the most talked about on the “visible Air” sneaker scene.

Working on a range of classic Nike Air Max styles from the Nike Air Max 98 to more recently the Nike Air Max Plus, the sought after sneaker collaboration has seen everything from snakeskin uppers to some of the most vibrant colourways you’ve probably ever seen. The revival of OG Air Max styles over the last 5 years has a lot to thank for this very exclusive collaboration which anything doesn’t look like it’s going to stop any time soon. In this feature we take a look at the complete history of the Supreme x Nike Air Max collaboration over the last 5 years starting which kicked off with the Nike Air Max 98 back in April 2016.

Supreme x Nike Air Max 98 (released April 2016)

The first Nike Air Max x Supreme release goes back to April 2016 which saw the swoosh brand and the box logo join forces on the chunky late 90s silhouette, the Nike Air Max 98. Utilising the chunky, late 90s Air Max silhouette, the collection featured four colourways which included, snakeskin, varsity red, obsidian & black. Featuring a glossy patent leather & mesh uppers, the collaboration also featured ‘WORLD’ to the left heel & ‘FAMOUS’ to the right heel. The release would ignite a love for the late 90s visible air silhouette.

Other highlights of the 2016 sneaker release included a Supreme heel tab, classic latest 90s ‘air max’ branding to the tongue & Supreme branding to the toe box. Also included in the release was a collection of 3 panel hats in matching colourways in typical Supreme fashion with some OG Air Max branding to the front & classic swooshes to the rear.

Supreme x Nike Air Max Tailwind 4 (released March 2019)

3 years later in March 2019, literally a few weeks after Supreme & Stone Island reached grail status reviving Massimo Osti’s legendary Toffee Wrapper jacket , Supreme New York & the Swoosh brand teamed up once again with the Nike Air Max Tailwind 4 trainer, an OG Air Max silhouette which was originally released 1999. Available in two exclusive colourways, university red/white & black, the Supreme x Nike Air Max Tailwind 4 featured static mesh uppers with suede & leather overlays, mini swooshes & classic Air Max cushioning under foot. In typical Supreme fashion the Tailwind 4 was teamed up with an exclusive DRI-FIT running hat which featured reflective piping for some street ready function.

Supreme x Nike Air Max 95 Lux (released November 2019)

Later in the year, Supreme teamed up with the swoosh brand yet again for November 2019 with a premium lux take on the Nike Air Max 95. The Supreme x Nike Air Max 95 trainer drew inspiration from an early noughties Air Max 95 release which featured premium Italian leather. Boasting full Italian leather uppers, as oppose to the usual anatomy inspired mesh & suede overlays of the original Air Max 95, the exclusive box logo released boasted a laser etched logo to the sidewalls & was released in 3 different colourways which included black, red & royal blue. Other highlights of the release included ‘Made in Italy’ tags to the laces, Supreme branding to the tongue and custom insoles.

Supreme x Nike Air Max Plus TN (released October 2020)

The next Supreme x Nike Air Max collaboration featured the late 90s Air Max Plus, or TN trainer as it is commonly referred to, drop in a trio of exclusive & colourful colourways for October 2020. The Nike Air Max Plus, or TN as it is also known, has enjoyed a massive resurgence thanks to its recent re-release back in late 2018. The TN originally gained a cult following on the streets of Europe from London to Lille throughout the late 90s and early noughties, usually worn with tracksuit pants, baseball caps and other colourful sportswear from the era. The bold colourways of late 90s sportswear have become a signature trait to the Sean McDowell’ designed silhouette which is exactly what Supreme went for.

The exclusive Supreme Air Max Plus TN trainer drop featured 3 exclusive colourways; hot pink/red/black, green/orange/blue & white/red.  Features included mesh uppers with a raised TPU logo at the tongue & heel, suede side & heel panels, polyurethane foam to the midsole & Tuned Air cushioning. Finally the exclusive release featured reflective panelling and collaboration branding to the foot bed.

Supreme x Nike Air Max Goadome (released October 2020)

January 2021 saw Supreme stamp their signature snakeskin print which had previously been used as part of their ongoing collaboration with The North Face across as well as Nike Air Max 98 release from 2016. This time around however it was the Nike Air Max Goadome trainer, an OG sneaker-boot from the early noughties from ex-ACG designer, Carl Blakeslee. A big hit in US cities like New York, the rugged Nike boot seemed like the perfect choice for the next collab offering a winterised version of visible Air. Highlights of the drop included waterproof leather uppers in a snakeskin print, mini swooshes and the ACG inspired Air Max sole unit.

Supreme x Nike Air Max 96 (released May 2021)

Supreme & the Swoosh brand teamed up again in 2021 with the revival of the lesser known 90s silhouette, the Nike Air Max 96. Replacing the mesh panelling on the uppers for translucent windows, the drop featured 3 different colourways which included camouflage, black & silver. Other details included Supreme branding to the heel & tongue. Dropping in black, woodland camo & silver the translucent windows of the uppers meant the sneaker heads who repped them had to make sure their socks were also on point.

Supreme x Nike Air Max 98 TL (released November 2022)

November 2022 saw Supreme & Nike release the Nike Air Max 98 TL, which revived the visible Air silhouette from the late 90s. The first revival release since 1998, the Air Max 98 TL marked the next instalment of the Air Max 98 and featured a slimmer profile with an updated full length visible Air sole unit, a sculpted Phylon midsole and TL branding to the heel. The Supreme collaboration featured knitted mesh uppers with synthetic leather overlays with reflective TPU detailing and molded heel panels. Finished off with collaboration branding to the tongue, Nike TL Air branding to the heel & the full length Air Max cushioning, the Air Max 89 TL dropped in four colourways which included black, white, brown & pink.

Stay tuned at mint. for further developments of the ongoing collaboration as there will no doubt be other classic Air Max styles dropping over the next few years. Shop the entire Supreme x Nike Air Max collections now via the links above and don’t forget to follow @thats_mint_official to keep up to date with all the latest news, releases & more.