[Update 3 Oct 2023] The Nike Air Max 1 “Urawa” is available now. If you miss their retail drop on SNKRS, watch their price on the SNKRDUNK App. They might even go under retail! Try your hand.

[Update 20 Sep 2023] The Nike Air Max 1 “Urawa” is reported to see an official release on 3 October via Nike and select retailers. Stay tuned for the drop!

[Update 11 May 2023] Official images of the Nike Air Max 1 “Urawa” have now surfaced. Take a look at the shots on the article slider above and expect the pair to release on 1 September.

Let’s wind back the clock, back to a time where Air Max 1 fever was taking over Japan. In 2002, legendary sneaker boutique atmos released the first ever collaborative Nike Air Max 1, the “Safari”. It didn’t take long for Japan, as well as the of the world, to go wild over Tinker Hatfield’s signature silhouette.

Just two years later, Nike Japan turned up the heat. Paying tribute to the Urawa Red Diamonds, aka Urawa Dragons, a J.League Football team, the Swoosh brand released a Japan-exclusive Air Max 1 aptly named “Urawa”. Doused in a similar shade of red as the Urawa Reds’ signature color, the “Urawa” quickly became a highly sought after sneaker. Today, it is considered as one of the classics of the silhouette, and you’d have to fork out thousands to grab a deadstock pair.

Nike Air Max 1 “Urawa” (2004)

However, Nike might have a solution for those looking for the “Urawa”, albeit in an almost totally different color scheme. According to @sneakerjamz, Nike is set to bring back the Air Max 1 “Urawa” in 2024, but it’s not exactly the red pair you might be thinking about.

Updated to reflect the football team’s current kits, this new iteration of the Nike Air Max 1 “Urawa” comes in a monochromatic dressing. While the inspiration behind the color scheme is not yet known, perhaps it could be a reflection of the team’s away kit last season, which plays on the same grey, white and black aesthetics.

For the most part, design elements carry over from the 2004 grail. Mesh is used as the upper’s base, with grey and white leather taking on the overlays. Urawa’s iconic shade of red is used lightly on its eyestays and air bubble, while a tinge of gold is applied on the tongue branding.

The same Urawa Dragons’ motif from the 2004 pair finds its exact same placement on the heel of the 2024 version. It also appears on the red graphic insole, followed with a Swoosh logo below it.

As at present time, not much is known about the Nike Air Max 1 “Urawa” besides a rumored 2024 release. Hopefully, it won’t be a Japan-exclusive this time around. While we await more confirmation, check out early images of the upcoming pair via the top slider above, courtesy of @sneakerjamz.

In other sneaker-related news, check out detailed images of the Fragment x Nike Air Jordan 3 Sample.