Nike Air Max 95 GORE-TEX: a first for the silhouette. Out 5 November at $230

Nike Air Max 95 GORE-TEX: a first for the silhouette. Out 5 November at $230

After years of requests from buyers, Nike is finally wrapping the Air Max 95 in a waterproof membrane. This is the first time the model's upper has been given GORE-TEX, with the first colourway expected on 5 November 2026 at $230.

• Style code IO1877-001, colourway Light Bone/Black/Campfire Orange

• $230, which is $40 above the Big Bubble OG at $190

• Expected 5 November 2026, initially through Nike

• Grid-patterned ripstop replaces the netting, and the Swoosh is now a raised badge

• A second, all-black colourway has already leaked

• The first GORE-TEX upper in the model's history

Why this matters more than it looks

Winterised 110s are nothing new, but this release is different.

A winterised sneakerboot edition arrived in 2016, sealed up for the cold, and it did serious numbers on Instagram at the time. That build, though, rested on an entirely different upper construction.

This time GORE-TEX goes straight onto the classic 95 upper, a first in the model's history. The difference is practical: until now, wearing triple blacks in the rain meant water trickling through the forefoot netting and wet socks as the price of coming correct.

Nike applies this strategy consistently across its classics. The Air Force 1 Low has had GORE-TEX versions since 2019, with a Vibram outsole added last season. A fresh crop of Vibram and GORE-TEX AF1s is slated for this autumn, so the 95 fits into a broader plan of weatherproofing the archive.

How the construction has changed

This is not simply a membrane swap, because almost the whole upper has been rebuilt.

Grid-patterned ripstop replaces the signature netting. It is the most significant change both visually and technically, since the netting was precisely where the water came through.

Durable rubber covers the toe tip and the lower two tiers of wavy stripes. The toe carries a debossed GORE-TEX stamp on the lateral side, set in textured black material.

Transparent ripstop appears near the tongue, where mesh used to sit.

Leather remains on the middle two stripes and the tongue, holding on to the model's traditional materials.

The laces are ribbed, which should give better lockdown.

And the detail only enthusiasts will catch: the lateral Swoosh is now a raised badge rather than embroidery. A small change, but one that alters the texture of the entire side panel.

On top of that sit Campfire Orange accents on the lace loops plus reflective touches, with Metallic Pewter also in the mix.

Colourways

One is confirmed, another has leaked.

Light Bone/Black/Campfire Orange, style code IO1877-001. This is the white, black and orange pair, with cool neutral tones, Metallic Pewter and warmer accents lending a mildly outdoors personality.

An all-black version, so far without a confirmed code or date. This is the one generating the most interest, because a waterproof triple black solves exactly the problem described above.

Reports suggest further colourways should follow. Whether the legendary OG Neon gets a GORE-TEX treatment remains a wish rather than information.

Price and date

$230 a pair.

It is worth setting against a benchmark, because the premium is specific. The Big Bubble OG costs $190, so the gap is $40, and that is what you are paying for the GORE-TEX.

The Light Bone colourway is expected on 5 November 2026, through Nike alone for now. Sizing has not been announced.

One discrepancy in the reporting is worth flagging, though. Some outlets give the specific 5 November date, others refer broadly to Fall/Winter, and others to the holiday season with no confirmed date. The same goes for price: alongside $230 sits an estimate of "$200 or more".

No sterling price has been confirmed.

Also arriving: the season's other 95s

Useful context, because the model is having an unusually dense year, driven by the ongoing Big Bubble run.

The Air Max 95 "ACG" at $190, style code IX6347-200, with a suede base in earth tones and Tropical Teal and pink accents drawn from the ACG Torre and Caldera boots. It is expected as a quickstrike, meaning no advance notice.

The Air Max 95 "I-95" pack at $200, in Medium Olive and Wheat, with a moulded shell replacing the layered upper and metal D-ring eyelets.

Against that backdrop the GORE-TEX at $230 is the season's dearest entry, but also the only one offering an actual function rather than just a new colourway.

One correction worth making

Worth noting, because the error is circulating across trade sites.

The Air Max 95 was designed by Sergio Lozano, not Christian Tresser as some reports state. Tresser is responsible for the Air Max 97, and the two get confused.

Lozano's inspiration was human anatomy: the layered upper panels mirror skin and muscle fibre, while the eyelets and outsole correspond to ribs and the spine. That is where the shoe's entire visual logic comes from, and the grid ripstop is the first meaningful intervention in that layer for some time.

Where to buy

The launch is set to run through Nike, with later colourways likely reaching select retailers too. Watching several at once is worth the effort, since allocation arrives at different moments.

Buying through Soleback returns part of the order value:

• BSTN

• END.

• size?

• Offspring

• Solebox

The click through Soleback has to be the last one before the shop, and cashback clears once the returns window closes.

Our promotions section is worth a look too.

FAQ

What is the style code?

IO1877-001, in the colourway Light Bone/Black/Campfire Orange.

How much does it cost?

$230, which is $40 above the Big Bubble OG at $190. No sterling price has been confirmed.

When does it release?

The Light Bone colourway is expected on 5 November 2026. Some sources give a wider window, from Fall/Winter through to the holiday season.

Is this the first Air Max 95 with GORE-TEX?

Yes, on the classic 95 upper. A winterised sneakerboot edition existed in 2016, but it rested on a different construction.

What exactly changed on the upper?

Grid-patterned ripstop replaces the netting, durable rubber covers the toe and lower two stripes, transparent ripstop appears near the tongue, and the lateral Swoosh is now a raised badge rather than embroidery.

Will there be a black version?

Yes, an all-black colourway has leaked, though without a confirmed code or date.

Who designed the Air Max 95?

Sergio Lozano, in 1995. The inspiration was human anatomy: the upper layers mirror skin and muscle, while the eyelets and outsole represent ribs and the spine.

In summary

This is a rare case of a winterised classic solving a specific problem everyone recognises. The forefoot netting has been the 95's weak point in the rain for thirty years, and ripstop with a GORE-TEX membrane simply fixes it.

The premium is measurable too. Forty dollars over the Big Bubble OG, and you are paying it purely for the function.

The most interesting version, though, is the one still without a date. A waterproof triple black is exactly the shoe buyers have been asking Nike for.