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Nike and Levi’s Just Upgraded an Iconic Air Max

After a 5 year lull, two of America’s most influential brands have teamed up again to create a capsule collection that sneaker and denim heads will covet.

The heel of a Nike x Levi Airmax 95 shown against a blue gradient backgroundNike

By Ben Bowers

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Nike and Levi’s quickly established an impressive track record of collaborations in just a few short years.

The partnership began in 2018 with the Levi’s x Jordan collaboration, which produced some of the most coveted Jordan IV releases of the 21st century. They followed that up with the Nike by Levi’s project involving the Air Force 1 in 2019.

A Levi's x Jordan Brand reversible denim trucker jacket with a pair of Levi's x Jordan IVs sneakers sitting on top.
A collaboration between Levi’s and Jordan brand back in 2018 was one of the best and most coveted fashion brand collaborations of the year when it launched and immediately became a coveted collector’s item.
Levi’s

But then the releases stopped. Maybe it was the COVID-19 pandemic’s fault. Maybe both brands realized that making too much of a good thing would spoil the novelty of it all.

Whatever the reason, after roughly five years of silence, both brands have finally unveiled an epic new project involving one of Nike’s most revered Air Max sneakers and some iconic Levi’s garments.

Here’s what you need to know about the latest iteration of the partnership between two of America’s biggest apparel brands.

A New Page in a 30 Year Story

A pair of blue Nike x Levi's Air Max 95's hanging over a side view mirror of a vintage truck colored in white or teal
In celebration of the Air Max 95’s 30th anniversary, Nike has unveiled a trio of new Air Max 95 x Levi’s sneakers that feature denim materials and Levi’s branding details throughout.
Levi’s

Credit to Nike. It’s never shied away from letting Levi’s play with some of company’s most legendary sneakers.

Even before this new duo’s Air Max 95 collab was revealed, the history of the Air Max 95 could fuel an entire sneaker trivia session.

Case in point: Nike has even published two different pages on its website dedicated to covering the sneaker’s lengthy backstory.

Nike x Levi's Air Max 95 in white denim on a light grey background.Nike

The main highlights to know are these.

The shoe wasn’t always known as the Air Max 95. In fact, Nike shoe boxes bearing the AIR MAX ’95 label didn’t start to appear until the late 90s. Instead, the shoes were labeled as AIR MAX or AIR MAX SC right on the box.

The gum sole of the Nike Air Max 95 Levi's
Unlike the blue and black pair, the white version of the Nike Air Max 95 x Levi’s features a complementary gum sole, which arguably makes it the best-looking version in the collection.
Nike

Sergio Lozano’s design of the Air Max 95 was also supposedly controversial within Nike ahead of its debut in 1995.

That’s partially because it was the first Nike to feature a visible air bag in the front of the shoe instead of just under the rear heel.

As surprising as it sounds, the Air Max 95 was conceived as a maximalist running shoe built with cushion and support in mind, long before brands like Hoka seized on the appeal and built an entire brand around the genre.

The red insoles of the Nike x Levi's Air Max 25. One features the Nike name and swoosh in white. The other features the Levi's logo in white. Nike

It probably didn’t help management’s nerves that it was also the first Air Max not designed by the brand’s most influential footwear genius, Tinker Hatfield.

The Air Max 95 was also an extremely expensive sneaker back in the day, with a starting price of $140.

While that might seem tame by today’s standards, especially given that new versions retail for $190 now, it positioned the shoe as an early sneaker status symbol, which it turned into a fake, knockoff, and counterfeit industry that still exists today.

Air Max Meets Americana

A pair of Nike x Levi's jeans and Nike x Levi's Air Max 95 sneakers in white hanging on a clothes line
The collaborative collection also includes a pair of baggy Levi’s jeans and a trucker jacket, both of which feature prominent Nike branding details.
Levi’s

The collaborative capsule’s star is a trio of special edition Air Max 95s in White and Ecru, denim blue (Obsidian), and black shades.

As you’ve probably guessed from the photos, the unique sneakers feature an upper made in part with wavy cuts of denim sourced from Levi’s, as well as other Levi’s details, including the brand’s gym-red “red tab” logo attached on the outer edge of each sneaker’s back heel.

A close-up of the heel of the Levi's x Nike Air Max 95 in black showing the Levi's red tag
The same “red tab” found on most Levi’s jeans is another collaborative detail on the Nike Air Max 95 x Levi’s sneaker.
Nike

The sneaker insole inserts also feature both brands’ logo in bright red, a color which both brands have long embraced as part of their identity.

And each pair will also ship with three different lace color options, including a bright red version to match other Levi’s brand detailing.

An Outfit to Match

A man wearing a Nike branded Levi's denim trucker jacket that shows the Nike and Swoosh logo on the backLevi’s

While the original Levi’s x Jordan release included a reversible denim jacket to match the denim-clad Jordan IVs, the brand has leaned even further into co-branded clothing as part of this project celebrating the Air Max sneaker’s 30th anniversary.

Alongside the sneakers, the capsule also includes a pair of baggy jeans and a matching denim jacket, which include prominent Nike branding in white.

The tips of three different colored shoe laces included with the Levi's x Nike Air Max 95
Each pair of Nike Air Max 95 x Levi’s sneakers comes with three different lacing sets to help customize the look, including a bright red pair in a nod to Levi’s signature color.
Nike

To top off the hype, the brand has even released a short teaser commercial and photo series set in the fictional American locale known as BlueArc County. The series stars hip-hop artist Larry June, WNBA player Paige Bueckers, NFL player Keon Coleman, and designer Daniel Buezo, all wearing various items of the collab.

Pricing and Availability

Nike Air Max 95 x Levi's in blue in profileNike

Like the previous collabs between these two brands, snagging any of the available pairs won’t be easy.

The limited edition sneakers, jeans, and jacket will be available on July 10th on Levi.com, the Levi’s App, in select Levi’s flagship stores, and on July 11th on Nike’s SNKRS app.

A man wearing a set of Nike x Levi's jeans and a denim jacket wearing a pair of white Nike x Levi's Air Max 95 sneakersLevi’s

Nike already has listings up to be notified for the shoe’s drop, at least in the black and white color options, but not the blue version.

The pricing for the jeans and jacket hasn’t been shared, but Nike’s listings confirm that the Nike Air Max x Levi’s 95 will retail for $205.

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About the Author: Ben Bowers is the Co-Founder and Chief Content Officer of Gear Patrol. Throughout his tenure in media, Ben has written and reported on everything from consumer tech to whiskey, watches, cars, camping, and personal style. These days, he gets to write less than he’d like to.