The OG Nike Air Max 1 ’86 “Royal Blue” Releases March 22nd

With Air Max Day 2024 creeping ever closer, the team in Beaverton is returning to where it all started. Official details have surfaced regarding the upcoming women’s release of the Nike Air Max 1 ’86 “Royal Blue,” dropping a few days ahead of the holiday itself as an appetizer for their full buffet of offerings.

While the Air Max 1 “Sport Red” has factored heavily into plenty of past Air Max Days, dropping three times in the past decade including in 2023, the “Sport Royal” colorway hasn’t received the same love. Given their sibling colorway came out last year, the release of these follows easily understandable logic. Compared to modern AM1 drops, the silhouette here is outfitted with true retro tooling aimed at getting the sneakers as close as possible to their 1986 configuration.

Chiefly, the “big bubble” in the midsole is stretched, imparting a much higher profile on the shoe as a whole. This marks their first release since 2017, and comparing that pair, the color choices are also vintage. The “Anniversary Royal” Air Max 1 wore a much bolder blue and slightly darker grey, while the editions in question here soften things up quite a bit in accordance with 1986 drop.

Arriving in women’s sizing on March 22nd, the Nike Air Max 1 ’86 “Royal Blue” will retail for $150. Below you’ll find our original coverage about what was initially reported as the key “Sport Blue” drop on tap for this year’s holiday, a volt soled take on the same pair.

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