With the iconic Air Max 90 turning 30 years old this year, Nike is celebrating the shoe and the impact it has had worldwide. And one of the places outside of the United States where the sneaker made its mark is the Capital of Russia: Moscow.
According to Nike, the Air Max 90 is the first sneaker from the brand to be widely recognized in Russia. To celebrate, the athletic powerhouse created a city-inspired iteration — the Nike Air Max 90 “Moscow” — which the brand said “celebrates the rich history and modern architecture of Russia’s capital.”
To pull off the inspiration, Nike created a shoe executed predominantly in a smoke gray hue, which is an homage to local construction and the city’s fall sky. The brand paired the smoke gray with hits of infrared and lazer blue, which are the shoe’s original color blockings and also serve as a nod to the city’s night lights.
Nike dressed the look with uppers made with leather and suede, reflective touches throughout to resemble Moscow’s futuristic aesthetic created by its skyscrapers and the words “Speed” and “City” in the native Cyrillic writing system on both the heel and sockliner. Also, Nike created the shoe with several changes including giving it a sleeker look, a lower toe and splitting the shoe by providing the original Swoosh shape on its medial side and a TPU underlay with the original shape of the logo.
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The Nike Air Max 90 “Moscow” will drop on Nov. 14 via the SNKRS app and at select retailers in Moscow.
