Once again, we have returned to customize our favorite 90s runner, this time using a bright pink in contrast with grey and black. But we haven’t made it just because it looks great. We wanted to make a concept that reflected the neon street lights from downtown Tokyo, and the Japanese capital’s forward-thinking technology. So, without further ado, here is our latest concept, which we have affectionately named the Air Max 90 Tokyo Pink.
The sneaker comes in a black leather and mesh upper, with grey TPU accents on the eyelets and the heel. The Nike Swoosh and the lining are coated in pink, and the Nike Air tag on the tongue is dressed in pink and grey. The last pink highlight is on the TPU surrounding the Nike Air bubble. Otherwise, the sole is completely black, including the tint of the Air bubble.
Our color combination reminds us of the neon and LED signs you would see in photos of Tokyo’s high streets at night. The black upper represents the night sky, and the grey accents represent the concrete streets. These hits of grey therefore not only added to the theme of the shoe, but we found it was the detail that separated our concept from previously released Air Max 90’s. Black and pink is a famous combination but adding in some grey is much less orthodox. Lastly and most importantly though, the bright pink accents on the shoe reflect the neon and LED signs that light up the city. We decided to use pink in particular as it is one of Japan’s favorite colors and is reminiscent of the country’s famous cherry blossom.
This would not be the first time a sneaker would be taking inspiration from Japan’s beauty though. The country’s modern cityscape and lush countryside make for an ideal blend of colors you could use on a sneaker. And Japan-exclusive Air Force 1’s and Atmos collaborations have made sure that the country has had a significant presence in the sneaker world. Tokyo’s bright street signs in particular have received plenty of love, especially on the Air Max models. We saw a Tokyo Neon Air Max 98, a similar Nike Air Max 97 that was inspired by Seoul’s fluorescent lights, and a Nike Air Max 90 that was also inspired by Tokyo’s lights. However, its orange and green detailing was slightly too garish for our liking, so we decided to create what we thought was a slightly more tasteful version.
