There aren’t many baseball signature lines from the 1990s as celebrated as that of Ken Griffey Jr.’s beloved Nikes, but the Beaverton, Ore.-based sportswear company may also have the dark horse contender for the top cult-favorite franchise with Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Hideo Nomo’s Air Max NM (Nomo Max). Now, for the first time since 2012, the Air Max NM is set for another return to retail next year.
While Nomo’s on-field legacy also isn’t quite as heralded as Griffey’s, the Japanese pitcher had an accomplished career in his own right, pitching for eight different Major League Baseball teams over the course of his 13-season stint in the league. After Nomo won the 1995 National League Rookie of the Year honors, Nike cashed in on the hype around the young pitcher by quickly introducing his signature sneaker, the Air Max NM, in 1996.
Griffey Jr.’s aforementioned signature line helped lay the groundwork for the Air Max NM, with Nike borrowing the Air Max-cushioned midsole of the Seattle Mariners star’s Air Griffey Max 1, to serve as the underfoot platform for Nomo’s shoe. Designed by Bill Cass, the sneaker’s aggressive tooth-like upper paneling helped separate it from anything else on the diamond. It’s said that the Air Max NM’s design was also informed by the anime franchise “Gundam,” a nod to Nomo’s Japanese heritage.
According to @zsneakerheadz, the Nike Air Max NM will be released during fall 2027 in its Varsity Red style. Despite not being an original colorway, the Varsity Red makeup proved quite popular upon its 2011 release and has gone on to become coveted over the years.
And while the Varsity Red look is the first pair confirmed to return, it’s all but certain that Nike Sportswear will issue more styles of the cult classic sneaker. A price point and style code for the Nike Air Max NM have yet to be confirmed, but readers can expect more updates soon. Readers can find a full look at the style’s 2011 iteration in the gallery below courtesy of Flight Club.