Colourway Corral: Nike 'Olympic' Releases

Every four years when the Olympics come around, the world stops to support their country in the hope that they will bring home a few gold medals. But alongside spotting some of the latest and greatest sneaker tech on the courts, pitches and tracks, us sneakerheads can also expect to get excited about the kicks that release to celebrate the coming together of the world's greatest athletes.

The 'Olympic' colourway from has been a favourite among shoe enthusiasts, as it consists of 'Midnight Navy', 'Varsity Red', white and gold. It was present on on-court wears in 1992 and continues to reappear around the Games, working its way across retro silhouettes in honour of the Swoosh’s sporting legacy.

With the kicking off in Paris this week, let's take a trip and have a look at some iconic Nike 'Olympic' colourways over the years.

Air Jordan 7 'Olympic'

The OG, the one that started it all, the . Originally releasing in 1992 and worn on-court by MJ himself, these have all-time legend status. Going down in history as one of the greatest 'Olympic' colourways ever, Jordan Brand decided to bring them back in 2004, 2012 and then 2016, giving the old classic a couple of well-deserved retros.

Zoom Flight 96 'Olympic'

Released for the 1996 Olympics, the Nike Zoom Flight 96 exudes 90s flavour to the max. The low-key colourway makes it the perfect fit in any wardrobe, so in 2016 they were re-released, making as much noise as they did back in the 90s.

Air Jordan 7 OC 'Miró Olympic'

This Air Jordan 7 has special significance, as it pays tribute to the Spanish artist Joan Miró who sadly passed shortly after MJ helped bring home the gold medal in Miró's city, Barcelona. Inspired by a statue the artist created known as 'Women and Bird', the AJ7 has been dressed in the colours used on the statue, with Jordan's Olympic number 9 sitting on the heel.

Air More Uptempo 'Olympic'

Yet another iconic Olympic release, these dropped for the 2012 Olympics, before following up again in 2016, 2020 and 2024. Instantly recognisable as Scottie Pippen's signature sneakers, the Nike More Uptempo a classic shoe that becomes even more so when dressed in a classic colourway.

Air Jordan 6 'Olympic'

One of the most popular colourways of the Air Jordan 6, this version was rocked by none other than Ray Allen in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Incredibly sought after, they released to the public back in 2007 and then 2012, brewing major hype on both occasions. More recently, the Swoosh broke out the iteration for the 2024 Paris Olympics, releasing during the first week of the Games.

Air Max 1 'Olympic'

Although it was an off year for the Olympics in 2015, Nike still put out some crazy heat to celebrate the theme. This Air Max 1 received some subtle treatment, gearing up for a number of steaming hot releases the following year.

Air Presto 'Olympic'

2016 saw an Olympic colourway onslaught. From Air Max all the way to Air Jordan, they definitely brought out the big guns. Nike also decided to bring back a 2000 Sydney Olympic special: the Air Presto. Dressed in a lovely toned-down colourway with red accents that seriously pop, if you were down with the 2016 games you definitely copped these.

Air Max BW 'Olympic'

Another crazy classic that was resurrected from the dead was the patriotic Nike Air Max BW. Originally given to the athletes in the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics, the public got a taste of these when they released in 2004. Then, in 2016, they received a well-deserved retro. Is it time to bring these back for next year's games?

Nike Air Zoom Talaria 'Olympic'

An under-the-radar retro banger, the arrived in an ‘Olympic’ colourway back in 2016. The silhouette was designed by Tinker Hatfield and was a heralded harrier fave when it first dropped in 1997, and it returned as a cult classic in time for the Rio Games. The pair featured a navy mesh base and white stitched leather overlays, with hints of red above the sole unit, on the tongue, and via the Talaria-branded heel tabs. Gold Swooshes finished off the look, landing on the pair’s lateral heels.

Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 92 'Olympic'

Continuing the retro revival, the Swoosh’s 2016 Olympic line-up also saw the brand bring back the . Once again paying homage to Team USA at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, the retro runner boasted the usual ‘Olympic’ colours, albeit in a slightly different arrangement to the OG. It did retain a few key features though – the bold gold counter appears just under the ankle, and the Team USA ‘Track and Field’ badge still hit the heel.

Air Jordan 7 'Tinker Alternate Olympic'

The slew of 2016 Olympic releases wouldn't be complete without an AJ7. The design is rumoured to be a colourway sketched by Tinker Hatfield when he was creating MJ's iconic Dream Team kicks. Which AJ7 do you prefer?

Nike LeBron 16 'Olympic'

The ‘Olympic’ edition of the came at an awkward time, to say the least, but if it wasn’t for the US flag inside the heel, it easily could have passed as a standalone release. Nevertheless, the pair launched in 2019, which should have been just a year before the Games. Though you’re unlikely to need the reminder, the 2020 Games in Tokyo were actually postponed to 2021 thanks to the pandemic, making this pair a bit of an outlier within the Olympic theme.

Nike Air Max 96 'Olympic'

One of the earliest iterations of the ‘Olympic’ theme, the first commemorated the Games for the silhouette’s release year, taking place in Atlanta, USA. The pair was later retroed in 2020 (as previously mentioned, the Games were delayed until the following year) and features a navy mesh base with white leather overlays, red accents at the toe cap, tongue and by the Air bubble, and also featured an American Flag-inspired striped tongue tab, USA-branded heels and metallic gold-outlined Swooshes.

Jordan Zion 1 'Olympic'

After inking a $75-million deal with Jordan Brand in 2019, Zion Williamson got his first signature shoe in 2021. That same year, an colourway of the silhouette emerged. The shoe’s build was originally inspired by superhero armour and features a distinct Z on the sidewalls that represents both the athlete behind the model and the need for speed. The ‘Olympics’-inspired pair featured colourblocking that called back to the style’s original inspiration, with a bold metallic gold tongue and a white and navy base. Red accents played their part on the lower eyelets, tongue and heel branding.

Nike Air Flight Lite II 'Olympic'

Although not a typical Olympic year, 2022 marked the 30th-anniversary of USA’s basketball ‘Dream Team’ so it was only fitting that a celebratory retro hit the shelves. Scottie Pippin’s was an obvious choice. The hooper touched down as a near like-for-like version of the OG, only it was missing Pippen’s number 8 on the heel. Otherwise the under-the-radar pick boasted the same white base, navy Swooshes and red lacing system, as well as flashes of gold on the lateral heels.

Nike Air Max Plus 'Olympic'

Nike continued to indulge in their archives ahead of the Tokyo Games, as they also brought back the from the Sydney Games in 2000. However, the pair wasn't 100 per cent faithful to the OG as it featured a red-toned Air unit instead of gold, and also featured gold toe bumpers instead of the true-to-form translucent ones.

Nike Air Max 1 'Olympic'

2024’s Olympic Games saw team Swoosh return to an old fave, and it’s only fitting when you consider that this year’s event took place in Paris. Alongside the brand’s takeover of the Centre Pompidou – the very building that inspired the Air Max 1 – Nike dropped another take on their inaugural Air Max silhouette. This pair flipped the blocking seen on the 2015 version, instead dressing the overlays in navy and mesh base in white, but it did retain the gold Swooshes seen on the earlier pair.

Nike Air Max Dn 'Olympic'

The Air Max 1 wasn't the only member of the Air Max family to get a celebratory rendition in 2024. The newly-introduced also got kitted out in the colours and was provided to Team USA's 2024 athletes as well as being made available to purchase. The pair featured a navy gradient-hued upper, white sole unit and red Swooshes and Air units.

Air Presto 'Australia Olympic'

Deviating from the Team USA colour scheme but still a monumental Olympic release, the Nike Air Presto 'Australia Olympic' was made exclusively for the Australian Olympic team to commemorate the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. The initial pairs created at the start of the millennium still remain as one of the most elusive sneakers for collectors across the globe, and especially Down Under. Its unicorn status comes into perspective when you realise that Australian athletes and their inner circle were officially the only people to get their hands on pairs from Team Swoosh. They were known to fetch high four figures, and there have been stories of lucky individuals stumbling upon pairs at charity shops. Nike decided to retro the megalithic iteration in 2020, forever solidifying this niche Aussie legend in collections of sneakerheads around the globe. Peruse our comparison of the OG and retro, !

Want more nostalgic Olympics-themed content? Check out the that struggled to find its footing.