Side Kicks Streetwear • TBC / News Post
Updated: 21 October 2026
About the release
Italian cult retailer slamjam has officially teased the first AM 97 collaboration of the Nike silhouette's return cycle. Dropped via Slam Jam's Instagram on 2 October 2026 with the caption "One month from now", the Slam Jam x Nike Air Max 97 is officially expected to drop around Monday 2 November 2026, with Slam Jam confirming the November window directly. For a silhouette that's been largely absent from Nike's catalogue over the past few seasons, this one carries real weight — Slam Jam is kicking off what looks like the Air Max 97's full 2027 30th anniversary rollout one quarter early.
Visually, the teaser leans into Slam Jam's trademark stealth black palette — the same dark-execution register that produced the much-loved 2023 Slam Jam AF1. The build swaps the AM 97's usual tightknit mesh upper for a cracked leather mudguard, with a tumbled / faux-reptilian textured material visible through the side cutout window, and both textures appear to extend across different parts of the upper rather than sitting in one zone. A metal mini Swoosh replaces the usual embroidered logo on the side panel, with a 'CHAOS IS ORDER 1989' metallic hang tag and thin black leather laces rounding out the premium material story. The headline detail: a darkened full-length Air unit with white 'eye' graphic markings appearing at least three times across the midsole — reminiscent of the eye motif Supreme used on the CDG x AF1 collab and giving the pair a properly eerie, 'always-watching' energy. Standard 3M accenting status is TBC until more imagery lands.
Nike Air Force 1 Low SP Slam Jam Black
The 2023 Slam Jam AF1 that set the stealth-black template
Shop Now →TL;DR – Slam Jam x Nike Air Max 97 'Black' First Look & Release Info
- Status: Officially teased by Slam Jam on 2 October 2026 via Instagram
- Confirmed release window: November 2026 (expected on or around Monday 2 November 2026 per Slam Jam's "one month from now" caption)
- Model: Nike Air Max 97
- Colourway: Triple Black / Stealth Black
- UK retail price: TBC — Slam Jam site listing shows £160 as placeholder but not officially confirmed by Nike
- Where to buy: Slam Jam (slamjam.com, Milan flagship) + likely Nike SNKRS + select global retailers
- Collab history: Follows the much-loved 2023 Slam Jam x Nike Air Force 1 Low SP 'Black'; the Slam Jam x Air Jordan 8 'feather-inspired' project is also already in development
- Key confirmed details: Cracked leather mudguard, tumbled / faux-reptilian textured material through the side window, metal mini Swoosh replacing the usual embroidered motif, 'CHAOS IS ORDER 1989' metallic hang tag, thin black leather laces, darkened full-length Air unit with white 'eye' graphic markings (3+ visible), granular midsole finish
- Still TBC: Exact release date, UK retail pricing, 3M reflective detailing status, full style code, allocation split between Slam Jam / Nike SNKRS / wider global retailers
- Context: Opens the Air Max 97's 30th anniversary rollout one quarter ahead of 2027; sits alongside the "Silver Bullet" 2027 retro return and the AM 97 Yardrunners collection
What we know so far
The project is officially real. Slam Jam dropped the first teaser image to Instagram on 2 October 2026 with the caption "One month from now" — effectively confirming an early November 2026 release window directly from the retailer. The image is deliberately low-light and partially obscured, meaning most of the pair's finer details sit just below full readability — exactly in line with Slam Jam's trademark incognito teaser style.
Confirmed design details from the teaser: a cracked leather mudguard and a tumbled / faux-reptilian textured material visible through the side cutout, both of which appear to extend across different areas of the upper rather than sitting in one dedicated zone. The usual stitched Nike Swoosh is replaced with a metal mini Swoosh on the side panel — a hardware upgrade tying into Slam Jam's established collaborative design language. Thin black leather laces, a 'CHAOS IS ORDER 1989' metallic hang tag, and a Slam Jam dog tag accessory visible in the shot complete the premium touches.
The Air unit is where it gets properly interesting. The usual clear Air unit is replaced with a darkened casing, with white eye-shaped graphic markings appearing at least three times across the full-length Air unit — creating an eerie, "always-watching" visual effect. The treatment is reminiscent of the eye motif used on the CDG x Supreme AF1, giving the pair a decidedly different energy from the usual AM 97 execution and firmly placing it in the Dover Street Market / Comme des Garçons genre of elevated-but-understated collaborative design.
Context on the AM 97 return. Slam Jam is kicking off what Nike has been clearly building towards: the Air Max 97's full 30th anniversary cycle in 2027. Already announced for the pipeline: the 'Silver Bullet' black-tongue 2027 retro (the first proper Silver Bullet retro since 2022), and a Yardrunners collection of multiple regional AM 97s. Milan-based Slam Jam being chosen to debut the silhouette's return isn't an accident — Italy's cultural connection to the AM 97 (documented at length in Lodovico Pignatti Morano's Le Silver) makes the retailer the natural launching point.
What is still TBC
Exact release date. November 2026 window confirmed by Slam Jam directly, with "one month from now" captioning on a 2 October post pointing to on or around Monday 2 November 2026. Final date drop will likely arrive via Slam Jam's Instagram with limited notice.
UK retail price. Slam Jam's listing has shown £160 as a mock-up / notify-me placeholder, but Nike has not officially confirmed pricing. For reference, the 2023 Slam Jam AF1 landed around £150 at retail. Expect the AM 97 to come in slightly higher given the material upgrades (cracked leather, metal Swoosh hardware, custom hang tag).
3M reflective detailing status. One of the AM 97's defining original details is its 3M reflective piping along the panels. Whether Slam Jam has retained the reflective detail or opted out in favour of a fully-stealth matte execution is unconfirmed. The teaser image doesn't give enough light angle to tell either way — more imagery is needed.
Full style code. No official style code has been published yet.
Allocation split. Slam Jam's flagship store and web platform will almost certainly get the first allocation, with Nike SNKRS and select wider retailers likely following. Whether this is a Slam Jam-exclusive-first release or a simultaneous drop is TBC.
Design and details
What makes the Slam Jam approach reliably distinct is the restraint-plus-material-depth formula. The Milan-based retailer's collaborative catalogue has consistently gone dark, muted and tonal, letting material and detail carry the design rather than colour-blocking or graphic overlays. The AM 97 execution fits that template cleanly.
Material swap: cracked leather and reptilian texture
The upper swaps the AM 97's trademark tightknit mesh for a cracked leather mudguard with a tumbled / faux-reptilian textured material visible through the side cutout. Both textures appear to flow across different sections of the upper rather than sitting in one dedicated panel zone — meaning the pair reads as a cohesive material study rather than a straight panel-by-panel swap. The metal mini Swoosh replacing the stitched version is the clearest hardware upgrade cue, and the 'CHAOS IS ORDER 1989' metallic hang tag extends the premium material story to the removable branding.
The Air unit eye graphics
The most interesting detail of the teaser. The full-length Air unit is darkened (either tinted or blackened casing) with white eye-shaped graphic markings appearing at least three times across its length. The treatment creates an unmistakable 'always-watching' effect — an eerie motif that specifically evokes the eye graphic used on the CDG x Supreme AF1. For a silhouette that's historically been defined by its clean clear Air unit presentation, this is one of the most left-field Air unit executions on the model since the 'Silver Bullet' original. Expect this to be the pair's defining talking point.
The 2023 Slam Jam AF1 reference point
The 2023 Slam Jam x Nike AF1 Low SP 'Black' is the clearest reference point for understanding what to expect here. That pair carried the same stealth-black register, the same emphasis on material quality over graphic treatment, and the same restraint in branding placement. It traded hard above retail in the months following release and still holds its value well on secondary market. If Slam Jam follows the same release format — initial Slam Jam-exclusive window, then wider SNKRS allocation — expect the AM 97 to follow a similar aftermarket trajectory, with the material depth and the eye graphics giving collectors even more to anchor onto than the AF1.
Slam Jam x Nike Air Max 97 'Black' teaser images
Credit: Slam Jam / Nike
Nike Air Max 97 Triple Black
The standard Triple Black AM 97 for comparison
Shop Now →Why this matters: the AM 97's 30th anniversary cycle
The Nike Air Max 97 was largely absent from Nike's release catalogue through 2024-2025, with reception on the 2022 25th anniversary Silver Bullet retro being noticeably more muted than the silhouette's 2017 moment. Nike has clearly used the past few quiet years to let the model rest, and 2026-2027 is where that strategy starts delivering. The Air Max 95 had a massive 30th anniversary moment in 2025 (the LEGO collab, multiple Yardrunners pairs, high-tier retro restocks), and Nike's 30th anniversary playbook for the AM 97 looks to be following the same template.
Slam Jam getting the debut collaboration slot ahead of the Silver Bullet 2027 return and the Yardrunners roster is a meaningful signal — Nike is positioning the AM 97's return cycle as a collector-first programme rather than a mass-market revival. The Milan heritage connection (Le Silver cultural documentation, Italy's long-standing adoption of the silhouette as a street-cultural signifier) makes Slam Jam the natural launch partner. Expect this one to sell through immediately on allocation.
Where to buy
The Slam Jam x Nike Air Max 97 'Black' drops November 2026 (expected on or around Monday 2 November 2026) via slamjam.com, the Slam Jam Milan flagship, with likely subsequent allocation through Nike SNKRS and select wider global retailers. UK retail pricing TBC. Browse all slamjam drops, the full AM 97 archive and the wider Nike collection on Side Kicks.
FAQ
When does the Slam Jam x Nike Air Max 97 release?
November 2026 window confirmed by Slam Jam directly. Based on Slam Jam's "one month from now" Instagram caption posted on 2 October 2026, the expected release date is on or around Monday 2 November 2026. No exact confirmed date has been published yet — watch Slam Jam's Instagram for final confirmation.
How much does the Slam Jam AM 97 cost?
Price TBC. Slam Jam's listing has shown £160 as a notify-me / mock-up placeholder but Nike has not officially confirmed retail pricing. For reference, the 2023 Slam Jam x AF1 landed around £150 at retail; expect this pair to come in slightly above that given the material upgrades (cracked leather, metal Swoosh hardware, metallic hang tag).
What are the white eye graphics on the Air unit?
The full-length Air unit has been darkened (tinted or blackened casing) with white eye-shaped graphic markings scattered across its length — at least three visible in the teaser image. The motif creates an eerie "always-watching" visual effect and specifically references the eye graphic used on the CDG x Supreme AF1 collab. It's one of the most left-field Air unit executions on the AM 97 since the original Silver Bullet and likely the pair's single defining visual talking point.
Why is Slam Jam getting the first AM 97 return collab?
Italy has a deep cultural connection to the Air Max 97 silhouette — documented at length in Lodovico Pignatti Morano's book Le Silver — making Milan-based Slam Jam the natural launch partner for the model's return cycle. The Slam Jam collab opens what looks to be the AM 97's full 30th anniversary rollout one quarter ahead of 2027, alongside the already-announced 'Silver Bullet' 2027 black-tongue retro and the AM 97 Yardrunners collection. Nike is treating the AM 97 return as a collector-first programme and Slam Jam is the right debut partner for that strategy.
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