Official images of the Nike Air Max 90 “Black/Old Royal” give the classic runner a darker, more textured look than usual. Black covers most of the shoe, while Old Royal blue is kept to the smaller branding hits and Air Max details.

The upper mixes black mesh with suede and leather overlays, giving the shoe more going on up close than the first look suggests. Safari-style print wraps the mudguard, and the Swoosh comes with a stingray-like texture that adds another layer without breaking up the dark color scheme.

Old Royal shows up on the tongue label, the Air Max window, the insole Swoosh, and the visible Air unit. Nike does not use much of it, but the blue works better that way since the material mix already carries most of the design.

The heel is the part people will notice first. Nike replaces the usual Air Max 90 heel branding with a round jewel-style eye emblem, a detail that immediately brings the Air Jordan 13 hologram to mind. This one reads more like a human eye than a feline graphic, giving the shoe a slightly eerie edge. A Halloween connection would make sense visually, but Nike has not confirmed that.

The Nike Air Max 90 “Black/Old Royal” will release Summer 2026 at Nike.com and select retailers for $145 USD.

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