Fronting the streetwear side of Kylian Mbappé's debut signature Nike collection comes a special edition Air Max 98 which drops alongside the full series today. Covered in callouts to the French forward, it's a strong signal of Nike selecting a streetwear focused icon to lead the brand into a new decade.
Cristiano Ronaldo bossed Nike's football scene for so long, but as we move into a new era Nike are placing emphasis on a player who complements the merge of football and streetwear in a way that CR7 didn't quite nail. Mbappé is new generation, and while his signature Mercurial boot will turn heads on the pitch, it's his ability to transcend into off-pitch circles that Nike will be keen to get involved with throughout his twenties and the twenties.
The Air Max 98 was – unsurprisingly – originally released in 1998, the same year that Kylian Mbappe was born, and so it is fitting that it has been selected to become the PSG man’s latest signature sneaker.
The Nike Air Max ‘Kylian Mbappe’ comes in a gun smoke camo base, with green and gold details popping throughout. A special “KM” logo takes the place of the traditional Air Max logo, then there’s the appearance of the circled 93 on the insole of the right shoe. 93 is the administrative number of Seine-Saint-Denis in France, the area in which Mbappe’s home city of Bondy resides. The French Tricolore makes up the lace stays for a further nod to the World Cup winner’s country of origin.
Shop the full Nike Signature Mbappé Collection at prodirectsoccer.com
