SoleGRIND
Somewhere inside Nike, somebody decided the Air Max 95 needed a villain era. First came the “Batman” colorway earlier this year, all black and grey with a flash of yellow. Now the “Joker” is following it for Fall 2026, and honestly, the color mix is so obvious that I am surprised it took this long. Black, purple, and green. The formula basically writes itself.
Let me be clear about one thing right away. There is no official DC Comics collaboration here. No Batman logo, no Joker card detailing, no comic book artwork anywhere on the shoe. The nickname comes purely from the color combination, which is dark greys, Canyon Purple, and bright green. Sometimes a nickname just sticks because it fits, and this one fits like a glove.
The upper is mostly black mesh, covering the tongue, lace area, and the base layer. The classic AM95 side stripes do their usual gradient thing, fading from light grey into charcoal and then near-black toward the toe and mudguard. It is a moody look. The kind of colorway that works in November when the days get short and everything outside is grey anyway.
Canyon Purple shows up in smaller doses, which I think is the right call. It hits the jewel Swooshes near the heel, the tongue branding, and sections of the outsole. You can also see a blue-purple tint running through the visible Air cushioning windows. It is not a loud purple. More like a deep, rich tone that catches light differently depending on the angle.
The bright green is what pushes this from “dark colorway” to “Joker colorway.” It fills the exposed midfoot section beneath the arch and lines the insoles. That pop of green against the black and purple upper is the punchline. Without it, you would just have another dark AM95. With it, the whole shoe suddenly has attitude.
Purple rubber wraps the forefoot to complete the color story. The full breakdown is Black, Dark Smoke Grey, Smoke Grey, and Canyon Purple, carrying style code IQ0229-002. Retail is set at 90, which is standard for an Air Max 95 these days. No exact release date yet, just a Fall 2026 window. Expect these to hit nike.com and select retailers when the date is confirmed.
The Air Max 95 has been on a solid run lately. The Big Bubble version has been getting most of the attention, and this Joker colorway is landing right alongside the Batman version that was revealed earlier in 2026. Having both gives Nike an unofficial comic book duo on the same silhouette, even if the licensing department had nothing to do with it.
If you skipped the Batman pair because it was too monochromatic, the Joker might be more your speed. The green and purple give it more visual punch while keeping the dark base that makes it wearable. I would pair these with black jeans and call it a day.
