The Best Nike Air Max 95s of All Time, Ranked

The Nike Air Max 95 is an elite Air Max model. The sneaker debuted in 1995—back then just under the name “Air Max,” as Nike wasn’t yet designating new models by year—and has more or less been around ever since. The last of the original batch of Air Max 95 colorways arrived in the spring of 1996; come 1997, Nike had brought the shoe back. It’s a mainstay of Nike’s retro business, a sneaker that’s kind of always there and always welcomed. But its success wasn’t guaranteed.

The Nike Air Max 95 was created by Sergio Lozano, a young designer who took the line over from Tinker Hatfield, the famous Nike designer who made Air Max a thing back in 1987. Hatfield was on a legendary product creation run in the ’90s, churning out classic after classic Nike and Air Jordan. There was some risk in him handing over the Air Max franchise—this was the guy who made the bubbles visible in the first place, after all.

Lozano accepted the challenge, and in doing so made a shoe that never could have come from Hatfield. His interpretation of the Air Max saw the shoe as a system of human anatomy where the lacing was a rib cage and the outsole was a spine to hold things in place. His Air Max had visible forefoot cushioning bags, a first for the line. It was a smash, a beloved shoe that took hold in specific geographies—Japan, the UK—before becoming a global icon.

Over 30 years later, the sneaker feels hotter than ever. In honor of its continued success, we’re ranking the 20 best Nike Air Max 95s of all time.

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