When we hear the words “Dior” and “Nike”, there is definitely a sneaker that comes to mind–the Dior x Air Jordan 1. Although very soon there will be another sneaker that fits the criteria of being a product of both brands. According to @ph__community, an Instagram page dedicated to streetwear news, both companies have partnered up once again to release a new iteration of the classic lifestyle sneaker, the Nike Air Max 95.
Here’s the thing: being the successor of arguably the best collaboration of the year is no easy feat. In the leaked images of the upcoming sneaker, we see two different colorways of the Nike Air Max 95. While one pair comes in bright orange, the other comes in a bright green shade. Right off the bat, we see the collaboration takes a completely different path from the previous project.
Does it work? I don’t think so. The success of the Dior x Air Jordan 1 is largely due to the streetwear and designer worlds colliding. While we are met with the classic Jordan 1 silhouette, Dior delivers everything they are known for with the materials and quality of the sneaker.
In the case of this upcoming Nike Air Max 95 collab, we only really get to see one side of the spectrum. As the Air Max already appears to have a sports-centric design, the bright colorway only reinforces this idea. As most streetwear fans are excited to rock a “designer” sneaker, they will only be met with yet another sporty Nike release. In fact, the use of the Dior monogram looks similar to the Air monogram we see in the Nike Air Max 1 Powerwall. All of which tells us the upcoming Nike Air Max 95 did not need as big a brand as Dior to be involved in order to produce such a pair.
With that being said, our expectations are not high for this upcoming collaboration, but then again the iconic Dior monogram has not hurt anybody, so we have to see what it will manage to do when the sneaker releases in June 2021. In other news, check out one of Dior’s latest projects: the Dior B27.
I’m excited for the collab and I think the shoes look great and might cater to people with a different style, but this article raises some interesting points about applying to their target market. I’m excited to see how it turns out!!