Nike Air Max 90 gets chrome Scorpion makeover for summer 2026
Chrome overlays and a red graphic insole give the Air Max 90 a louder summer edge, while the Scorpion pack makes a familiar retro feel collectible again.
Nike is giving the Air Max 90 a sharper summer attitude without touching the silhouette that made it a staple. The new Scorpion colorway keeps the shape familiar, then dresses it in a gray mesh base, metallic silver and chrome overlays, black liner and midsole details, and a red graphic insole that flashes from the inside out. The scorpion graphic stamped on the chromed-out heel badge adds just enough menace to make the shoe feel like more than another retro rerun.
That restraint matters because the Air Max 90 already carries serious history. Nike launched it in 1990 as the brand’s second flagship sneaker in the Air Max line, and it was originally known as the Air Max III until 2000, when the model was reissued under the year of its debut. Nike also traces the design back to the 1987 Air Max and 1989 Air Max Light, while the original shoe’s red accent became the signature “infrared” hit that collectors still recognize instantly. The model’s collaboration résumé is just as loaded, from HUF’s 2007 Hufquake to sacai’s 2015 laceless version and Virgil Abloh’s 2017 Off-White take in The Ten.
The Scorpion treatment is not a one-off flourish. Nike is rolling the motif across a broader pack that also includes the Air Max 95 Big Bubble, Air Max Plus VII and Total 90, which gives the theme a cleaner fashion logic than a single sneaker drop. The Air Max Plus VII Scorpion has been described as a Black/Gamma Blue-Chrome pair with scorpion branding on the tongue, metallic silver Swooshes and aqua Air units, and it carries a $190 price tag. The Air Max 95 Big Bubble Scorpion is set for fall 2026 at the same $190 price, with a black base, Gamma Blue accents and tiny scorpion graphics tied to Nike’s 2002 World Cup Secret Tournament, or Scorpion KO, campaign.
That is what makes the Air Max 90 the smartest summer entry in the group. Its style code is IV5974-001, and Nike has not pinned down an exact release date beyond a summer 2026 window through Nike.com and select Nike Sportswear retailers. In chrome, the model reads louder and more shareable, but not unfamiliar. Nike is not reinventing the Air Max 90 here; it is reminding everyone how good the old shape looks when the finish does the talking.
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