Technical Description

The Nike Air Max 90 QS "Ultramarine" goes well beyond a simple colorway transfer — it borrows both the palette and the materials of the 1991 Air Max 180 to create one of the most considered AM90 QS releases of recent years. The upper is built on a dazzle mesh base — a direct nod to the Air 180's original mesh construction — layered with soft suede overlays that replace the AM90's standard leather, again mirroring the 180's material signature. The traditional Air Max badge on the side panel has been swapped for a sheer mesh cut-out, a detail unique to this construction. Color blocking follows the 180 blueprint precisely: Light Base Grey across the base and mudguard, Coconut Milk on the midsole for a slightly aged off-white finish, Sport Royal on the Swoosh and sockliner, and Siren Red on the tongue branding and around the visible heel Air unit. The ridged heel medallion is replaced with embroidered Nike Air on suede, completing the tribute. A standard AM90 rubber outsole finishes the build.

Storytelling

The Air Max 180 "Ultramarine" is one of the most referenced colorways in Nike's Air Max archive — a 1991 release that predates the Air Max 90's dominance and occupies its own quiet corner of collector culture. Nike has applied the blue and red tones to the AM90 before, notably in 2020, but this 2026 QS version goes further than any previous attempt: the materials travel with the colors, making this the first AM90 that genuinely looks and feels like an Air 180. It's less a colorway tribute and more a full silhouette hybrid.

A Summer 2026 QS Worth Paying Attention To

The Nike Air Max 90 QS "Ultramarine" is a release that doesn't carry a collab name or a celebrity co-sign, the level of material and design detail here is unusually high — the kind of QS that tends to age well in the archive. All authorized shops carrying this release are listed below.