21 Years Later, Nike Is Reviving One of Its Most Important Sneaker Collabs Ever

It’s Stash season. The New York graffiti legend has made his mark on the streets, a mainstay of the city’s art scene for decades. The dude’s work has shared space with that of names like Keith Haring, Futura, and Basquiat, making him as integral to the artistic DNA of New York as any of his peers. He’s no slouch in the sneaker scene either, having worked with everyone from Reebok to Bape. But it’s his work with Nike that’s left the biggest impression. Their partnership dates all the way back to 2003, making him one of the very first non-athletes to collaborate with the sportswear giant. And this week, Stash and the Swoosh are at it again in a big way.

Friday sees the release of Stash’s take on the Nike Air Max 95 and Air Force 1 Low. If these kicks look familiar, good eye—of all the shoes the two have worked on together, these are two of the most coveted, both dating way back to 2006. (“Look how crack it fucking came out,”Stash humbly told GQ in 2022 of his AM95s. “One of the best shoes made to this day. You don’t have to touch it.”) Pairs of the originals have long been scarce on the resale market, with the sizes currently listed setting you back a few hundred bucks at minimum (some exclusive variations fetch over $5,000). Both build from Stash’s now-signature Swoosh palette of blue, navy, and gray.

The 2024 editions feature some tweaks from the originals. Anyone picking the shoes up this week is immediately going to notice more premium materials, namely updated nylon. There are also some adjustments made to the colors, with a darker shade of navy gracing the Air Max 95. The colors across the corresponding gradient are adjusted accordingly so as to preserve the effect. On one hand, anyone looking to buy the true blue (sorry) original may still have to shell out for one of the OG pairs. On the other, old heads (excuse me, purists) concerned with such a hallowed pair of kicks getting disgraced by something so gauche as a rerelease can rest easier knowing the originals are still the originals.