Dark Mode! – Air Max 90 Neon Blue

For our latest concept sneaker, we decided to create an alternate style to the original Air Max 90s that were released some 31 years ago. It has the same bold 90s style mixed in with a darker theme, that gives the iconic runner a whole new look. Check out our concept above and read the details of how we came up with the shoe below. 

The sneaker comes in a black leather and mesh upper, with bright blue accents on the swoosh, the Nike branding, and the lining. Grey highlights are then used on the TPU details, the eyelets, and the Air Max branding on the lateral side of the shoe. The upper is paired with a clean black sole, and more bright blue accenting around the Air bubble. Lastly, the Air bubble has also been tinted black, matching the overall theme of the shoe. This sneaker would work as the centerpiece of an outfit, as its bright blue details are instantly eye-catching. And you would want to pair it with subtler colors on the rest of the outfit, to avoid taking the attention away from the shoe. 

When the Air Max 90 was first released, it was covered in white, black, and grey detailing that would be paired with bright colors for the accents. From the Infrareds to the Volts, it was a winning combination, but the white mesh was always a liability in terms of picking up scuffs and stains. Especially in the winter months, therefore, where you may have to deal with plenty of rain and even snow, we thought it would be appropriate to take out the white for a change. Instead, we used a black upper to create an almost alternate look to the OG Air Max 90 colorways. This also made the contrast with the bright blue accents much more intense, which really allowed the blue to be the focus of the shoe. 

We have also used the term “dark mode” in reference to the settings on popular apps that let you change whether they have a light or dark theme. Light mode often includes a brighter interface that uses white as its main color, and dark mode uses a darker interface, often with black as its main color. Our shoe, therefore, is like the dark mode of the original Air Max ’90s, as it keeps most of the details the same, but swaps out the bright upper for a darker black finish.