With some of the Nike Air Max 2090 colorways going on sale recently I was finally able to try on a pair and review its features. Every year Nike brings out a new Air Max silhouette on March the 6th, a date that has come to be known as Air Max Day, and this year we saw the release of the Air Max 2090. Originally revealed to LeBron James’ 70 million Instagram followers a couple of weeks before its public release, the Air Max 2090 is said to be an improved and refined take on the classic Air Max 90, which turned 30 this year. In a promotional video for the shoe, Nike stated that the current generation was younger than the Air Max 90 and had therefore not been able to grow up with it as a staple of pop culture like the generation before them had. That is where the Air Max 2090 came in, as a modernized version of the classic sneaker, that could serve as possibly the Air Max sneaker that Gen-Z might be able to feel nostalgic about in another 30 years.
The Air Max 2090 is currently available in an infinite number of colorways, thanks to Nike’s “By You” feature which lets you customize certain sneakers, but we picked up a pair in a Magma Orange, Eggplant, and Habanero Red colorway. As well as certainly catching people’s eye, this bold color scheme perfectly accented the upper’s multiple layers and segments, creating a vibrant and beautiful looking sneaker. Out of the box they look very modern, futuristic and they feel great on foot right away, no need to break them in.
Upper
The Air Max 2090 comes in a nylon base upper similar to the adidas Avryn, with mesh on the tongue and heel, and a transparent plastic mesh on top. Whilst in photos this covering looks similar to a ripstop material, you can see the holes in the mesh when you have the shoe in the hand, which does make the model very breathable,but also sadly means it is not waterproof. As previously mentioned, the sneaker takes inspiration from the Air Max 90, and you can see this
influence on the upper, as the 2090 features a similar leather mudguard on both the medial and lateral sides and a similar TPU accent on the heel of the sneaker. Other details worth mentioning are the synthetic overlays around the tongue and laces to give the sneaker some durability, and reflective 3M accents on both the pull tab and the shoe’s eye stays, which will flash depending on their proximity to a light source. The upper easily molds on your foot for maximum comfort and breathability, making them an excellent shoe gym or casual wear.
Sole Unit
The sole unit of the Air Max 2090 is just as, if not more impressive than the upper, featuring a foam midsole in the front of the sneaker, and a large encased Air unit in the heel. If this shoe was to be anything like the Air Max’s that debuted before it, it would have a stiff sole with the Air unit feeling like a wedge underneath the heel of your foot, but this could not be further from the truth. Granted, the Air Max unit isn’t especially comfortable, but it looks great, particularly because of its rubber casing that is ribbed at the heel, and its foam carrier gives such a cushioned ride, that it easily makes up for the Air unit. Nike has not given us a name for the midsole foam, so you wouldn’t be on your own if you expected it to be no better than phylon, but in reality, it is amazing. During this Nike Air Max 2090 review, we have found it extremely comfortable, and it compressed very well underneath your feet, yet our pair still shows very little signs of wear. To top it all off, the Air Max 2090 features a thick rubber outsole that is very reminiscent of the lightning bolt pattern found on the bottom of the Air Max 90. It also has the same square nub traction pattern that gives the wearer a bit of grip on hard surfaces, and like the rest of the shoe, we are yet to see any wear and tear on the outsole.
Bottom Line
To conclude this Nike Air Max 2090 review,, this is one of the best lifestyle models of this year, rocking a stunning futuristic look, and providing an extremely cushioned ride. From the tech specs and the images online, you would not expect the sneaker to justify its $150 price tag, but once you have a pair in hand, you will understand why the shoe has received such glowing reviews. The only thing worth mentioning is that the shoes are quite wide, so we recommend most people go true to size unless you have particularly narrow feet in which case it wouldn’t hurt to go down half a size.
