20 Years Later, Nike's Grail-Worthy Air Max Sneaker Powers Up Again
The number of Nike re-issues coming out feels unreal. For sneakerheads who've been fantasizing about these grails for a while now, it probably feels like a dream come true — that's if they successfully cop these once-rare sneakers.
Every day, Nike shocks the sneaker world by blowing the dust of another long-lost Swoosh treasure, it seems. And the latest to get pulled out of the Nike archives is — drum rolls, please — the Air Max 1 Powerwall BRS. No joke.
Regarded as one of Nike's most exclusive and, thus, coveted Air Max 1s, the sneaker launched in 2005 as part of Nike's Powerwall series, which included other sought-after shoes like the "Lemonade" Air Max 1s.
The Air Max 1 Powerwall BRS — a homage to Nike's OG name, Blue Ribbon Sports — saw an extremely small run in the early 2000s, with only a handful adding the stunning mixture of shiny green and plush brown suede to their closets (don't forget that bright pink Swoosh).
After returning as Air Max slides and going up for auction for $4,000, the Nike Air Max 1 Powerwall BRS is now set to return to the world before the year is out (Fall 2024, to be specific).
Nike plans to re-release the colorway as an Air Max 1 '86, a sneaker model that's as close to the OG Air Max 1 as it gets. In other words, expect the '86's Big Bubble to appear on this iconic "BRS" colorway.
It's surprising that the Air Maxes didn't appear in Nike's SNKRS Showcase or other Nike sneaker previews, which are known to tease shoes plucked from the Swoosh basement.
Then again, some Nike secrets are best kept hushed...until the time is right to tell.
