Nike Air Max is one of the most influential sneaker lines ever created.
Introduced with visible Air cushioning, the series turned performance technology into a design statement that shaped modern sneaker culture.
The franchise remains central to Nike’s identity, celebrating innovation every year through Air Max Day on March 26.
The Air Max 90 arrived in 1990 as the third major model in the Air Max line, designed by Nike legend Tinker Hatfield.
Originally called the Air Max III, the sneaker introduced a bigger Air window and sharper design lines. Its bold “Infrared” colourway helped it become one of the most recognisable sneakers ever created.
Nike Merges Football Heritage with Air Max 90
Nike is now merging football heritage with sneaker culture through two new Air Max 90 releases inspired by iconic boots in its 2026 Football Pack.
The “Zest” colorway draws directly from the iconic Total 90 Laser I, featuring a bright yellow base with black overlays and subtle red accents, along with Total 90-inspired graphics across the forefoot and heel.
The “Bright Citrus” colorway references the original Hypervenom I, with a vivid orange upper, black overlays, and a large Swoosh extending toward the toebox.
Introduced in 2007, the Total 90 Laser was a revolutionary boot, with rubber panels on the instep designed to optimise shooting precision, and the line was championed by Wayne Rooney and other stars of the 2000s.
The Hypervenom predated the Total 90 Laser’s retirement and initially released in 2013, featuring a brand-new build providing unparalleled precision and ball control.
Nike fronted the Hypervenom with Neymar, whose move to Barcelona that same year made him the perfect global face for the new silo.
Wayne Rooney in T90s
Wayne Rooney began wearing Nike boots in 2003, debuting in the Air Zoom T90 II when he became England’s youngest-ever goalscorer at 17 years and 317 days against Macedonia.
At Euro 2004, he wore the T90 III and scored four goals as England progressed from the group stages, quickly becoming one of Nike’s leading athletes.
Nike made Rooney the lead face of every T90 Laser campaign from its 2007 debut, with four generations of the boot headlined by him.
His ferocious power and shooting accuracy matched the boot’s precision-strike technology so naturally that the two became commercially inseparable.
Rooney’s greatest moment in the boots came in February 2011, when he scored an overhead bicycle kick in the Manchester Derby that remains one of the most celebrated goals in the boot’s history.
Neymar and Hypervenoms
Nike chose Neymar to launch the Hypervenom at a headline event in Rio de Janeiro, with the timing coinciding with his move to Barcelona and Brazil’s poster-boy status ahead of hosting the 2014 World Cup.
At the 2013 Confederations Cup, Neymar scored four goals wearing the new Hypervenom, including one in the final.
During the 2014 World Cup, after Brazil’s 4-1 win over Cameroon in which Neymar scored the tournament’s 100th goal, Nike hooked him up with a special gold Hypervenom edition for the knockout stages.
The 2014-15 season was arguably Neymar’s finest in the boot, scoring 39 goals and creating 10 assists in 51 appearances as Barcelona won the Champions League treble.
Nike created multiple signature Hypervenom colourways for Neymar, including the Liquid Diamond edition and a collaboration with Air Jordan.
His name remained the first reference point when Nike unveiled the orange Air Max 90 “Bright Citrus” in 2026.
Cost & Release Date
Both the Air Max 90 “Zest” and the Air Max 90 “Bright Citrus” will release on May 21, 2026 via Nike.com, the SNKRS app, and select third-party retailers, priced at $150.
