Six years after the Air Max 90’s 30th anniversary celebration, Nike is continuing to prove you can teach an old sneaker new tricks with the launch of a limited-edition luxe all-black upgrade for the classic sneaker.
Set to be released Thursday in select regions is the Nike Air Max 90 SP in a sleek triple-black leather style. The entirety of the shoe’s upper — including Air Max 90 components which are typically composed of mesh, suede and TPU — is rendered in a smooth black leather. The leather has a puffy, premium appearance is perforated at the tongue, eyelets and heel badge.
And while the Air Max 90’s traditional Swoosh and tongue Nike branding remain intact, its usual “Air Max” marks at the lateral and medial mudguard badges and heel badge have been omitted, adding to the style’s refined look. The sportswear company’s official product description describes the colorway as a “a sleek remastering of Tinker Hatfield’s original 1990 design.”
In 2020, Nike marked the Air Max 90’s 30th anniversary by restoring the model’s original Air Max 3 name and reworking its construction from the ground up. The result included a sleeker, more tapered toe box and improved underfoot cushioning meant to mimic the Air Max 90’s original 1990 form. The Beaverton, Ore.-based sportswear company would later apply similar period-correct updates to the Air Max 1 and Air Max 95 in 2023 and 2025, respectively.
The Nike Air Max 90 SP Black Leather is set to be released Thursday in select regions, although a specific U.S. release date has yet to be confirmed. The sneaker’s style code is IV4504-001 and it’s set to retail for $150 with availability through Nike’s Snkrs app and select retailers. Given the colorway’s SP (Special Projects) designation, readers can expect limited availability.