The Nike Air Max 98 has seen a big revival this year featuring a wide variety of colorways and concepts. Continuing the sneaker's retro into the new year, we have an early look at what might be the first Nike Air Max 98 of 2019. One of Nike's offering for the upcoming Chinese New Year comes in the form of the Air Max 98 that pays homage to numerous sneakers of the past.
With first images coming from Instagram via @le.syndrome, the sneaker incorporates a variety of Chinese New Year aesthetics. Serving as a collage of components, the upper features a mix of snakeskin, animal hair, and a floral graphic in the style of the "Tianjin" Foamposite from 2015. Accenting colors of teal, red, and gold can be found throughout the sneaker with patent leather adorning the certain parts of the shoe as well. The look is finished off with a set of speckled laces and a "prayer hands" graphic that can be found on the mostly black outsole.
With a 2019 drop the most likely for the forthcoming Chinese-themed Air Max, this isn't the first Eastern look for the sneaker. A Chinese-exclusive Air Max 98 dropped earlier this year in the "Shanghai" colorway.
Chinese New Year takes place on Feb. 5 but release date, price point, and size run are all still unknown at this time. Check out below for more detailed images of the sneaker.
UPDATE (01/10): Here are the official images of the upcoming "Chinese New Year" Nike Air Max 98s arriving sometime this month. Both the men's and women's pair features the popular "What The" theme, combining details from Chinese New Year sneakers of the past.
