Although the official start of summer is still days away, Nike has already established a strong contender for the hottest sneaker of the season with its remastered Air Max 95 OG Big Bubble. And after original-styled gradient releases in Neon, Pink Foam and Bright Mandarin to get the momentum rolling, another color will soon join the mix.

A first look at the upcoming Nike Air Max 95 OG Blue Spark was shared in May by Corteiz founder Clint Ogbenna. While showing off an assortment of Nike sneakers including Lil Yachty’s Air Force 1 Low, A Ma Maniére’s Air Jordan 5 and the Supreme x Air Max 1, the Corteiz creator included the world’s first look at the upcoming Air Max 95 OG Blue Spark retro.

The soon-to-be-released style uses the Air Max 95’s classic gradient fade design which shifts from a dark midsole to a lighter shade across its ribbed, human anatomy-inspired synthetic suede upper. The pair then includes the Air Max 95’s signature formula of brighter color accents on the newly inflated Air units, speed lace loops and Nike branding. All in all, the look doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but that is precisely why it’s been so beloved for decades.

While similar Air Max 95 renditions such as Crystal Blue have been released throughout the years, the last time this specific Blue Spark option was available at retail was 2011. Perhaps most famously, blue was liberally used on graffiti artist Stash’s 2006 Air Max 95 collaboration which was revisited in 2024 with modern modifications. 

“The Air Max 95 helped shape what we now think of as Air Max culture, especially in the Black community,” A Ma Maniére founder James Whitner told FN in May. “From the moment it dropped, it had that energy. It was bold, expensive, hard to get. So if you had a pair, it said something. I still think that shoe is part of the ‘look’ for certain people. It became a statement, and honestly, it never really stopped being one.”

Also on the horizon for the Air Max 95 OG Big Bubble is a rerelease of the popular Solar Red style, which essentially swaps out the blue hue seen here for a bright red. The Solar Red colorway is expected to arrive at retail this fall.

The Nike Air Max 95 OG Big Bubble Blue Spark is set to be released in August for a retail price of $180. Its full colorway is White/Blue Spark/Neutral Gray/Medium Gray and its style code is IM7410-100.