Let's get straight to it: this isn't the old trick of printing a denim pattern on canvas and calling it a day. The Air Max 95 "Ashen Slate" uses actual frayed denim layers stacked and pieced together across the upper, tying back into the classic mesh panels near the eyelets, all soaked in a deep indigo wash that genuinely reads like a well-worn pair of jeans.
The timing here is worth noting too. This pair drops right on the heels of the Levi's x Nike collaboration—a partnership that saw Levi's put its spin on three different Air Max 95 colorways, with the denim brand also having previously touched the Air Jordan 3 and Jordan 4. In other words, Nike is now taking its own well-established fluency in denim (see: the Air Max Koko sandal and denim Air Force 1) and running it back solo, no Levi's branding required.
