The Air Max Plus doesn’t hold the same weight in the United States as in Europe. Once a Foot Locker-exclusive sneaker, the Sean McDowell model hopped the pond and became a mainstay in street culture throughout the continent. Nike produced many exclusive color schemes and honored the region through specific releases. After seeing the model taken over by French soccer team PSG, the Air Max Plus is taking a vacation in Napoli, Italy.
While the original Air Max Plus colorways were inspired by gradient sunsets witnessed by its creator, Sean McDowell, in Florida, this Napoli pair uses the lush blue waters surrounding the vacation destination to inform its color scheme. A mixture of blue, white, and yellow hues is present across the mesh base, with these shades coming pixelated across the profile and toe. Transparent TPU overlays, initially inspired by palm trees, let the graphic on the base layer shine while black and white hues on the Swoosh pop along the midfoot.
Moving back, we see Vir Napule E Po' Muor placed on the black heel tab, the famous phrase used to describe the city of Naples, which directly translates to See Naples and die. It is not meant to be a warning; the phrase dates back centuries and is used jokingly to say Naples is so beautiful that you won’t want to travel anywhere else. More nods to the city are found via the tongue tag, which incorporates the city’s red and yellow flag into the Nike Air-branded label. Underfoot sits a black and white midsole with the red and yellow hues of the flag integrated into the Tuned Air units paired with a black, yellow, and blue rubber outsole.
The Nike Air Max Plus Napoli will release on September 5, 2024, in Europe through Nike and select retailers online and in-store. A global release has yet to be confirmed, though it's still possible we will see a drop in the US and throughout the rest of the world later in the year. Available in men’s sizing, the retail price is set at $200. Download the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on the latest releases, raffles, news, and more in the sneaker and streetwear world.
Nike Air Max Plus Napoli
Images via Nike
In this article
Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. Concerts, music, trying new restaurants, and catching the latest movies are some of the things I enjoy when not writing for Sole Retriever. Email: nick@soleretriever.com
