The Nike Air Max 95 "Black Border" from 1996 Returns Fall 2025

Nike's 30th anniversary celebration of the Air Max 95 has already unveiled the silhouette in handfuls of styles donning a bigger heel bubble than usual. Savvy fans of Sergio Lozano's design will surely rejoice at the news that the sneaker will also return in its "Black Border" ensemble from 1996 throughout fall.

Reported by Brendan Dunne for Complex, news of a "Black Border" retro joins the growing list of original colorways returning as part of the Air Max 95's milestone anniversary. The design's signature "Neon" look will launch throughout April in limited quantities, with a broader release expected in 2026. The newly-surfaced reissue, however, is expected to drop in higher stock numbers, allowing longtime and new fans alike to enjoy one of the AM95's earliest color schemes.

Officially clad in "White/Deep Emerald/Black," the sneaker was first seen in 1996. Considered one of the iconic Nike Air Max's original colorways, the tri-colored style has widely been forgotten, overshadowed by the greyscale gradient ensembles that've been retrod consistently enough since the mid-1990s.

Reports of a retro, however, promise to bring back the "Black Border" look in a close-to-OG-form. Nature-inspired overlays along the profiles indulge in a pitch-dark tone that inspires the sneaker's nickname. Rich Seattle Mariners-reminiscent green animate the tongue and miniature swooshes at the heel. As is expected on all faithful reissues throughout the year (and a surprising Yu-Gi-Oh!-based project), the autumn-time reissue will feature the seam-donning Big Bubble Air Max unit at the heel. A side-by-side comparison to both the '96 and 2004 pairs would showcase how different or similar the revolutionary cushioning is on the newest offering.

Stay tuned for official photos of the "Black Border" Air Max 95, and shop all currently-available styles via Nike.com in the meantime.

For more from the Swoosh empire, check out the G.T. Future, a modern performance silhouette from Nike Basketball rooted in early 2000s heritage.