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The Nike Air Max 96 II is a retro of a 1996 model, releasing again to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the shoe. The Goldenrod colorway I picked up is an OG colorway from 96.

After picking up the final pair in the AM3 pack, I wasn’t sure what the next Air Maxes were going to be for the collection. Then I learned about these! This colorway has retroed before in 2016 for the 20th anniversary of the model, but the midsole is altered on that version. The 2021 retro is a bit more of a direct 1:1 of the original sneaker.

This shoe came out around the same time as the Air Rift, Footscape and the earliest Zoom sneakers and in a way struggled to get attention. This changed when Michael Johnson wore the AM96 to the olympics in Atlanta. The version he wore is the regular Air Max 96, which has a very unique looking upper. The 96 II takes the last and the midsole of the 96 and switches up the design of upper with more mesh.

Goldenrod colorway

Click/tap image to shop for these on eBay!

I was able to grab the Goldenrod pair on Nike for retail when it released. It seemed to sell out and then restock. I definitely had been looking forward to the release. Even though I don’t have a particular nostalgic tie to this sneaker, I love retros from this era.

When I saw the promo pics for this retro, the sneaker seemed right up my alley. I like Air Max retros that are somewhat obscure but yet have the same vibe as other more popular pairs.

For example the outsole on these totally reminds me of the Air Max 95. It makes sense that both the 96 and 96 II would continue the same sort of segmented look. I also really enjoy the busy design on this particular colorway. They give me Golden State Warriors vibes which might not be everyone’s cup of tea but is a win for me.

Features/Materials

Starting off we an Air Max logo stitched onto a mesh tongue. The tongue has a 3M overlay similar to the Air Max 95. Instead of traditional eyelets there’s this rope coming down either side of the tongue that you lace around. There are little bits of suede around the eyelets and at the top of the toebox. The toebox itself is mesh with a leather hit in the middle sporting an embroidered swoosh. There are also some 3M hits near the toecap and a leather mudguard. On the side we have more mesh and leather panels, a 3M strip running across and a microfiber swoosh. There’s also a little mini swoosh stitched in just under the top eyelets. More leather on the back with MAX embossed on a 3M hit and a mini swoosh sitting on a suede backtab. The insole on the Goldenrods is white with a navy swoosh and the outsole is yellow and black with a swoosh in the middle and towards the rear.

The Goldenrods ship with skinny oval white laces and come in the regular Nike Sportswear box. Overall, no extras but this shoe is really all about the retro of this specific colorway so this is not surprising. Most Air Max models from the 95 forward will cost around the same retail.

How is the Quality?

This shoe comes with the basic quality on the materials. We’re talking your typical Nike Air Max retro level of materials. This is the usual case for non-premium retros of OG colorways. The point is more that we’re actually getting the colorway rather than that we are getting some kind of premium makeup. The minimal suede on the back is basically felt. The leather is a thin, basic leather. Everything else on this shoe is either 3M or mesh except for the microfiber swoosh. The mesh on the toebox does have a plush appearance reminiscent of the Air Zoom Alpha.

While I’m definitely not getting a premium vibe from the shoe, I’m not getting a cheap vibe either. This is a very busy design, so I think the focus is taken off the actual material quality based on everything else going on. The shoe also seems solidly constructed, and the craftsmanship as far as QC errors seems minimal on pairs I’ve seen.

How Do They Fit?

I went true to size on these. I’ve found these to fit wider at the toebox than they look. That makes these very comfortable as far as wiggle room in the toes.

The comfort is there for me with these. I do think that you have to get used to a chunkier, late 90s runner fit but once you do these are definitely comfy. There’s a thick midsole with the visible Air unit that keeps you off the ground. The shoe provides a solid bit of cushioning and a little bit of give underfoot. The materials of the upper are fairly solid but also fairly thin. Thus, while the sneaker feels stiff at first, it still flexes enough to be comfortable when worn. I could wear a sneaker like this all day although I still prefer the Air Max 90 recraft as far as comfort. Overall I think if you like the fit on Air Max 95s then you know what to expect here. If you’ve never tried it, once you get used to it you will like it.

Final Thoughts

I didn’t pay attention to the 2016 retro but I paid attention here. I think this is a very good looking silhouette in terms of random Nike Air Max runners . I’m glad I was able to get a retro of an OG colorway. So many great shoes came out in 1996 although I had never noticed these before until I started to see the teaser shots of this recent retro. While this may be a little too obscure for some people’s collections, these are just the type of shoe that looks really neat and gives a collection a bit more uniqueness. Especially with a ton of Air Max 90s and Air Max 1s already filling up the Air Max section of my box stacks.

This is a very busy and detailed sneaker as far as upper design, which I think helps it stand out amongst other Air Maxes from that era. While the materials aren’t necessarily too remarkable here, this shoe is all about the reto aspect, so I’m not surprised they didn’t go super premium on the upper. Still, the shoe feels like a solid bit of craftsmanship and not like a cheap sneaker. The comfort is for me similar underfoot to the Air Max 95 and provides the type of support I enjoy wearing for longer periods of time. Most importantly though, they look great on feet!

Where To Cop the Nike Air Max 96 II

As of the writing of this article, you can find the Goldenrod colorway on eBay