Nike’s Robotic Air Max 90 Drift Borrows Some OG Styling

The past meets the future, and meets the past again.

Sneaker News January 31st, 2025 (updated)

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The Nike Air Max 90 has been the center of the sneaker universe for many. At one point the dominant Air Max sportswear model across the globe, the silhouette has shown some signs of slowing as it enters its 35th birthday in 2025.

It being generally inactive in the collaborations and energy product department has factored into it being on the back-burner for the most part. Instead, Nike has chosen to expand its universe with off-shoot models through its Drift line as seen on this silhouette and the Air Max Plus.

The Air Max 90 Drift is a bit robotic looking, adding sharper, acute angles as if the Japanese mecha aesthetic was the goal. The toe-box is completely redesigned as well, swapping the classically beautiful sport mesh with a transparent synthetic film. The sole remaining consistent with the OG is understandable for cost reasons, but it looks a bit disconnected with the updated upper.

Now nearly a dozen colorways in, this alternate-dimension model is set to arrive again in Spring 2025 in a few new colorways. With the white upper and black mudguard, it reminds us of the OG colorways that made the shoe an icon in the first place. Stay tuned for a release on Nike.com for $160.