Collector Spotlight: There's No Air Max 95 Too Obscure for Stash Footwear
March means Air Max Month, and once again, we’ve taken the opportunity to raid some collectors’ closets and connect with the Sneaker Freaker fam on their favourite Air Max memories, grails and their thoughts on the future of the franchise. Our series continues with Mike Spreag (aka ), a collector from the UK – a country with serious love for the Air Max 95 and the birthplace of the model’s 110 nickname. We caught up with him ahead of the ‘Neon’s’ re-release to chat about all things 95!
What’s your name and location, and which Air Max got you hooked?
My name is Mike Spreag and I grew up on the Wirral, Merseyside but I’m currently based in Leeds (UK). The first to get me hooked was the ‘Greedy’. I had never seen a pair like it. The mix of classic 95 colours and the obscure nature of it kick started my journey into rare air.
What was your first-ever Air Max pickup, and do you still have it?
My first ever Air Max pickup was the Hyperfuse ‘Black/White’. I picked these up during the hype. I originally went into with my mum for a pair of Huaraches and every colour was sold out in my size. This actually forced me to look beyond what was popular, and so began my obsession with Air Max and all of the franchise's different silhouettes. Unfortunately, the pair in question is long gone due to me wearing them into the ground as a young teenager – I would have worn them to a wedding if I could have!
What was it about that pair that you first connected with?
The exposed Air unit made me pick them up – I’d seen nothing else like it. Then their comfort, compared to other brands, was a huge selling point. I could also wear them for any occasion – I could even play football in them. The versatility of Air Max makes it impossible to enjoy other shoes as much now!
The vast span of the Air Max family is hard not to be drawn into, and finding out how many different pairs and colours there were definitely kept my attention. The Air Max 95 was what I became obsessed with as they were (and still are) extremely popular where I grew up – it’s one of those places that still calls them 110s after the original price point. The most popular pairs were all black or black and grey so finding out there were pairs with colour and material variations was groundbreaking for me. While still buying into the trend, I could have my own taste thrown into the mix and have something you would rarely ever see anyone else have.
How has your Air Max collection evolved since you started collecting?
The bulk of my collection used to be Air Max 95s – I had even managed to pick up some of my biggest grails like the and the . This ended up with me venturing down late-night Air Max rabbit holes as I still had the urge for rarer pairs. I then moved onto picking up a lot of as that is one of my favourite (and in my opinion the most underrated) silhouettes, especially in the OG colourways. The ‘Team Orange’ are so good for everyday wear.
Collaborations have always been my favourites to pick up. The Size? exclusive Air Max Lights were on my hit list – the ‘Easter Pack’ especially. I think I have always strived for ultra rare items since this point, pairs I could show my mates that they haven’t even heard of before. The scratched this itch, but as they were from the late 90s/ early 2000s I picked up one pair from the US that didn’t even survive the journey over the water. I still have quite a lot of unwearable pairs as once you move them on they can be so hard to find again.
What specific memories or emotions does your Air Max collection evoke? Is there a particular pair that holds the most sentimental value for you, and what’s the story behind it?
A recent pair that holds a lot of value is the x Air Max 95. Only 1995 pairs were released. I slept in when they dropped on SNKRS. This pair is infamously hard to get in larger sizes, especially my size, which is a UK11. I picked up a UK12 as it was the only large size available on StockX for £250 and it was the most I had ever paid above retail for a new release. I have since sold that pair because I finally got a UK11, which I’ll keep forever. I will always remember my desperation to get them after I missed the drop!
A pair that also holds huge sentimental value is my OG ‘Neon AntiFreeze’ from 1997, they are still brand new but are crumbling away. They are arguably my rarest pair – I have only seen one or two pairs available ever. I found my pair on a random eBay listing that had no Air Max connection – it was just labelled Nike trainer. The joy of finding them and waiting 2-3 weeks for international shipping makes them so special. They’re a pair I will have for life and always cherish.
How do you decide what to keep versus what to move on?
It usually comes down to which pairs I haven’t looked at for a while. Anything that gets stuck at the back of the shelf I would rather move on to someone else in the community. This obviously has some exceptions. My pair of Powerwall Air Max 97 ‘Pine Greens’ have become unwearable and are a whole size too small, but I would never sell them. The materials and shape are perfect and the debossed running figures on the mudguard are so unique. I also still have the original box nearly 25 years later!
Is there a grail you had to sell a few pairs to fund?
Early on in my collection, I was desperate to get the OG Stash 95s. A pair sat on StockX for a while but with an insane ask of £2000 or something. My best bet was to sell some pairs (one of which was a brand new pair of ‘Crystal Blue’ 95s for £150!), gather some money together and put my best bid forward. A couple of weeks later, I got the email for the sale and couldn’t be happier! They arrived in perfect condition and even had the original RRP sticker on the box. This pair stayed with me for many years until I sold them as they were brand new, and I copped a used pair that had a higher likelihood of not crumbling underneath me. Unfortunately the age still got to them, but the recent retro has been a great pair that I can now properly wear all the time without any worry! Shout out to Mr Stash – he definitely designed some of the best collaborative Air Maxes ever! The BW was even worn by Kanye back in the early 2000s, which was another insanely rare pair with only 1000 individually numbered pairs available.
In your view, what Air Max release had the biggest cultural impact and why?
For me it has to be the OG ‘Neon’ Air Max 95. Each release of this pair would be massive, and it was the first time I heard of people going to Nike or JD Sports to queue up on the day to grab them. They have always been a staple in the North West of England – a pair that everyone can respect. The best thing about them is the versatility of the various editions – like the ‘Safari’ pair, with its full animal skin upper or the ‘Patch Neons’ which has interchangeable patches, so the wearer can show off their individuality through a very popular medium.
The ‘Neon’ AM95 always commands the attention of the Air Max community, and creates more hype and discussion, which is always beneficial. Its worldwide reach also proves that it's a design classic. What’s even more impressive is that the ‘Neon’ was the first colourway that Sergio Lozano made in 1995 and it is still as important (if not more) 30 years later.
What’s an underrated Air Max model or colourway that deserves more love?
My initial answer would have been the Sunder or the Air Max TL2.5, but both pairs have seen retros recently. I would now say the Air Max Modular 95. It’s already loved by serious collectors and enthusiasts, but it’s definitely a pair that more people could fall in love with. In my opinion it’s the best hybrid pair ever made – a mix of the BW with an Air Max 95. The Modular 95 takes the best aspects of both pairs, and if you didn’t already know it was a hybrid, you wouldn’t be able to tell. They’re also super hard to get hold of as only four colourways were ever produced back in 2010. I think if more people knew about them, they would have a much larger fan base as they are such a likeable style.
A colourway that needs more love is the Air Max 95 ‘Gundam’ from 2006. The colourway is better known on the Air Max 98, but I actually think the 95 is better. The colour blocking is perfect and it has that one-of-a-kind suede back tab that we only got on this specific pair. It’s a perfect summer colourway and is near impossible to get hold of, it's incredibly elusive. It only retailed at Foot Locker, which was super rare to happen to a 95.
What would you like to see for the future of Air Max?
I would like to see much more innovation and for Nike to push more boundaries. A good example of this recently is the Dn8. I love this new model – the loud colourways are also a huge hit for me.
Hopefully we can see more of this in the future. Trust me I’m a sucker for a retro and they are definitely needed but I’d like to see them in moderation. They are great snippets of the past but new classics need to be introduced. I actually like it when Nike bring back a classic like the Stash Air Max 95 and give it a twist to differentiate it from the OG. This gives collectors a new pair to wear and keeps the original special – the retro isn’t just a cookie cutter pair with a fresher air unit on the bottom. I would love Nike to take inspiration from their vast archive and make classic pairs even better with modern innovations.
Another huge part of Nike Air Max for me is the Nike ID program. It's definitely been a huge part of my collection and collection journey. The best pairs are from circa 2008 when the Nike Studio ID program was around. Thanks to this platform, some of the best and most desirable Air Max have been made by the community itself. One of my most viral videos was a pair made on the 2007 ID program, and it’s a pair I regrettably moved on. Each of these ID pairs came with a dustbag, a suede-lined premium box and info cards about the programme and the colours you have chosen. Every part of the programme was well thought through and executed, and it formed one of the key building blocks for the early Air Max community. Hopefully in the future we’ll see something like this again, so that people have the utmost control of the design process for an affordable price and they can turn their Air Max design fantasies into reality.
What does being a part of the Air Max community mean to you?
I remember when I first joined some of the Air Max groups on Facebook and started to see some proper collectors and their collections. This opened my eyes to rare Air and is actually where I picked up some of my earliest pairs. I remember I got a pair of Air Max 95 'Halloweens' for around £100 a pair, they were almost impossible to find on any marketplace. It was within these spaces that you would hear rumours about new pairs coming out and also find links to good pairs on sale. This connection with people and the same passion is so important, but unfortunately, I feel they have slowed down slightly in recent years as other platforms have skyrocketed.
The best feeling of community recently has been at Lacesout in Liverpool. Getting to talk to so many sellers and collectors and connect with them is a vital part of being involved with the community. Plus, there’s always a chance you’ll see pairs that you may not have in years!
Show us three of your rarest Airs.
- Air Max Plus Hyper Blue Friends & Family (2003)
- I picked up this pair randomly and couldn't find any information whatsoever about them online. They come in a TN branded steel case alongside a booklet with artwork and TN history and a sleeve for the case. The only info about this was from the Facebook group Nike TN Worldwide. They may have been a Foot Locker promo that never saw a release or pairs gifted to staff members, but the full story is still unknown!
- Air Max 95 'AntiFreeze' (1997)
- Air Max 95 CDG Sample