Picture this: it's 1999, and Nike's just taken the wraps off of the Nike Air Max Sunder. The perfect blend between retro and futuristic, it's the sneaker all the cool kids want. Then, all of a sudden, they're taken off the shelves, and you're left devastated.
If this happened to you for real, then you're in luck. The legendary silhouette is being officially re-released just in time for its 25th birthday. And this time it's back for good.
Making its enormous return in the big and bold ‘Canyon Gold’ colourway, the upper is crafted from a stretchy neoprene-like fabric that fades from a yellow at the front to an orange around the back. The Air Max Sunder's (formerly known as the Air Sunder Max) signature zip makes its way to the vamp, and while you might think that this is the only way you can tighten up this trainer, you'll actually find a set of traditional laces inside, which is pretty neat.
Oversized pull tabs hit the tongue and heel for a gorpcore-esque aesthetic, and all of this rests on top of a chunky Air midsole. The shoe is then finished off with black perforated panelling that wraps around the entire mudguard section, and it's signed off with a single Swoosh along the lateral sidewall, just like the OG from '99.
And before you ask, yes, Comme des Garçons did bring the Air Max Sunder back in 2021. But that was only for an extremely limited collab that sold out within seconds of dropping. So if you (like pretty much everyone) took a L on that three years ago, this is the ultimate alternative.
The Nike Air Max Sunder ‘Canyon Gold’ is set to return sometime this autumn via Nike, the Snkrs app, and select stockists all over the world. More colours are expected to be revealed very soon (including an all-black pair), so stay tuned.
