The sporty bubble-soled Nike Air Max 95, a shoe deeply entrenched in sneaker culture, is now a skate shoe. Don’t believe me? Well, even esteemed skater Eric Koston says so. 

In an unexpected mash-up of worlds, Nike’s SB skate division rebuilt the Air Max 95 from the ground up to make it a kickflip-friendly thrasher without losing its signature bulky shape.

It’s such a feat of ingenuity that in 2024, mere rumors of such a shoe had our ears perking up.

Eventually, this August, in celebration of the Air Max 95's 30th anniversary, Nike SB's version touched down, a minimalistic mix of grey and off-white suede topped off with deep purple accents. But the releases don’t end there.

Just as rumors of that initial release were swirling for what felt like an eternity, rumors of a second SB Air Max 95, this time designed under the watchful eye of Nike collaborator Eric Koston, have long been doing the rounds.

We’ve been reporting on the existence of this collaboration for three months now, but the industry whispers have been circulating since before then. 

This is not unusual for all things Nike, mind you, as it's quite normal for Swoosh matters to quietly make their way online months if not years before they see general release.

Well, good things come to those who wait, and we’re now nearing the official debut of this collaboration. The recent emergence of official images of the Nike SB x Eric Koston Air Max 95 hints that we’re close to the shoes' finally landing.

Currently, we're expecting the sneaker to release later this fall on Nike's website.

For now, nothing is confirmed. However, the rumors were proven right the first time around. 

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