Nike is marking 40 years of Air Max with a “Lost Samples” Pack built around three of the line’s defining models. The Air Max 1, Air Max 90, and Air Max 95 all return with altered details that make them look more like unfinished prototypes than standard anniversary retros.

The Air Max 1 stays close to the original “Sport Red” layout, but blue accents on the tongue, upper eyelets, and outsole shift the familiar color blocking. It looks recognizable at first glance, then slightly off in a way that fits the sample-room concept.

Nike takes an obviously aged approach with the Air Max 90. Inspired by the original “Infrared,” the sneakers come with scuffed mudguards and a faded look on the colored portion of the midsole.

Starting with the original “Neon,” the Air Max 95 retains Sergio Lozano’s signature layered grey gradient precisely as it was. Black details on the inside and orange pops on the lace loops and visible Air units alter the feel, yet still honor the shoe’s iconic look.

Using sample-style variations gives Nike room to revisit three heavily retroed colorways without simply producing another exact copy. Each shoe still carries the identity of its original release, but the small changes give collectors something different to notice. Air Max reaches its 40th anniversary in 2027, four decades after Tinker Hatfield introduced visible Air on the Air Max 1. Nike used the line’s 30th anniversary to debut the VaporMax in 2017, so the “Lost Samples” Pack may be only one part of a larger celebration.

The Nike Air Max “Lost Samples” Pack is expected to release in Spring 2027, with a late-March launch around Air Max Day still possible. Early pairs were previewed during Paris Fashion Week.

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Photos: sneakerologue