This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Nike pays tribute to the countries and cultures that have made the Nike Air Max an international icon by updating the classic sneaker with a series of country-specific camouflage patterns that, despite being designed to conceal, stand out on the streets.
Initially released in 1987, the Nike Air Max running shoe was crafted for sport but was quickly adopted on Europe’s streets as a badge of self-expression. The Camo Collection honors and evolves this heritage by updating the shoe with vintage camo prints from France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom – and with Nike Hyperfuse technology.
Using heat and pressure, Nike Hyperfuse forms a single, durable composite material from three layers: one for stability, one for breathability and one for durability. The resulting unibody design boasts a level of precision unattainable via traditional cut-and-sew methods. It is also lightweight, without abrasive seams.
The collection’s central style impact, meanwhile, come from its prints, which are found on both the shoes and their boxes. France leads off, transforming the Air Max 1 and Air Max BW with a fusion U.S./French camo stamp, while Italy wraps the Air Max 90 and Air Max 97 in a motif from the early ‘90s. Germany’s print was first issued in 1999, and now adorns the Air Max 1 and Air Max 180. And both the Japanese and British textiles — each from around 1991 — modify the Air Max 90 and Air Max 95.
The Nike Air Max Camo Collection will launch globally with the release of the France Air Max 1 and Air Max BW, as well as the Italy Air Max 90 and Air Max 97, exclusively at select retailers in Berlin on July 3.
