The summer of the Nike Air Max 95 will keep going strong until the very end, as leaks suggest the anticipated “Yu-Gi-Oh!” collaboration will touch down at the end of the season. And while word of the sneaker has been out for a good chunk of the year, the first actual imagery has emerged.
The “Yu-Gi-Oh!” x Nike Air Max 95 has been revealed in a blue colorway inspired by the iconic “Neon” edition of the sneaker. Several shades of blue dominate the sneaker from sole to upper and replicates the outfits of the character Katsuya Jonouchi (aka Joey Wheeler in English editions of the franchise). Dashes of neon green then come from the Air Max units and tongue branding, the later of which has been changed to read “Air Muscle.”
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On the insole, you’ll find a more direct interpretation of “Yu-Gi-Oh!” with a graphic depicting Red-Eyes black dragon, as well as the franchise’s logo. A special box then models itself after card packaging and displays a previously seen card featuring the Air Max 95.
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This forthcoming collaboration marks a full-circle moment for “Yu-Gi-Oh!” as a duplicate of the Air Max 95 called the “Air Muscle” served as a major plot point from a 1997 manga issue. In it, Jonouchi is scammed by a shoe shop owner who sold him the sneakers and paid a group of thugs to steal them back from him and sell them once again. Dark Yugi confronts the owner on behalf of Jonouchi and wins back Air Max 95 “Neon” dupes in a game.
During San Diego Comic-Con in July, Nike teased its “Yu-Gi-Oh!” collab with a couple of trading cards on display featuring the Air Max 95 edition shown here and an additional colorway. A brief animated promotional video went up simultaneously on the social channels for the .Swoosh line.
The “Yu-Gi-Oh!” x Nike Air Max 95 will reportedly release in September through the Snkrs app, with the second colorway possibly slated as a Japan-exclusive. Pricing is set at $200.