Blending Italian craftsmanship, football nostalgia and contemporary streetwear, the collaboration revisits one of Nike’s most iconic silhouettes.
Few sneakers have managed to transcend their original purpose quite like the Nike Air Max 95. Since its introduction, the silhouette has become a cultural fixture, finding its place across generations of streetwear, music and youth culture. Now, Milan-based cultural platform One Block Down is revisiting a lesser-known chapter of its history, joining forces with Nike to introduce the Air Max 95 LUX “Italy”.
Rooted in the relationship between Nike and Italian craftsmanship, the collaboration draws inspiration from the 1990s, when Nike Football developed close ties with Italy’s footwear industry. The country’s expertise in premium materials, construction and technical precision helped shape a distinctive approach to performance footwear, eventually leading to the original Made-in-Italy Air Max 95 LUX in 2001.
Rather than simply reproducing the archival design, One Block Down has chosen to push it forward. Built around the original Air Max 95 LUX construction, the updated silhouette introduces a newly sculpted, padded upper that follows the flowing anatomical lines of the original model. Premium Italian leather anchors the design, while digitally printed gradients, developed and applied in Italy, bring a contemporary dimension to its heritage.
The collection arrives in four colourways: Black, Red, White and Green. The Black edition pays homage to the original 2001 release, while the remaining three draw on Italy’s national colours, translating the country’s visual identity into a contemporary sneaker collection.
Beyond footwear, the collaboration extends into apparel inspired by Nike Football’s unmistakable visual language. Drawing from the brand’s iconic Total 90 era and its historic Nike Football identity, the collection reinterprets archival references through technical garments, including a jersey, jacket, trousers and skull caps.
One particularly personal detail sees the Total 90 insignia transformed into “09”, referencing the year One Block Down was founded. Elsewhere, subtle touches of the Italian tricolour appear through contrast stitching and construction details, reinforcing the collection’s connection to its cultural origins.
The accompanying campaign unfolds across three interconnected chapters, each exploring a different aspect of Italian identity. The first looks towards the country’s automotive heritage, celebrating movement, engineering and collective energy. The second focuses on craftsmanship and the technical discipline behind making, while the third explores community through One Block Down’s Global Neighborhood philosophy, built around the idea that culture becomes stronger through exchange and shared experience.
Together, the collection and campaign position the Air Max 95 LUX “Italy” as more than an exercise in sneaker nostalgia. It is a conversation between heritage and reinvention, bringing together the worlds of football, design and street culture through a distinctly Italian lens.
The One Block Down x Nike Air Max 95 LUX “Italy” launches on November 13, 2026, with the Black colourwayavailable exclusively through One Block Down, both online and in-store. The Red, Green and White editions will debut in highly limited quantities exclusively at One Block Down’s Milan flagship store.
The Black colourway will receive a wider global release on November 19, through Nike SNKRS and selected retailers worldwide.