The Air Muscle is finally coming to life this year. Today, Nike officially teased a new project between .SWOOSH and Yu-Gi-Oh!, which will bring the iconic sneaker from the manga & anime to life through the Air Max 95
Years ago, the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga incorporated a story line about its protagonist, Katsuya Jonouchi, or Joey Wheeler, hunting down a rare pair of sneakers. Dubbed the Air Muscle, the high-tech American runner was styled after the Air Max 95 “Neon”, and was worn by Joey throughout the manga and anime after he acquired them. Nike has never officially acknowledged the connection until this week, teasing a team-up between the Yu-Gi-Oh! IP and their .SWOOSH label.
The rumors about Nike bringing the Air Muscle to life first surfaced early this year, but there was no credibility to them until this morning. The .SWOOSH account shared a short video teasing the upcoming project, and more information has surfaced in the hours since. Using the Air Max 95 as their templated, the ‘Air Muscle’ version will reportedly come in two colorways, one in white with shades of grey, and the other in Psychic Blue with volt accents.
Additionally, San Diego ComicCon is underway this weekend. On display at the Yu-Gi-Oh! booth is a set of two cards showing the Air Max 95 in images from the manga, and instructions to follow .SWOOSH for more information in the future.
YO-GI-OH! X NIKE .SWOOSH AIR MUSCLE 95 RELEASE INFORMATION
The official collaboration between Yu-Gi-Oh! and Nike’s .SWOOSH has not been officially announced yet, but is expected to release soon in Fall 2025. Bringing to life the Air Muscle from the manga, two pairs of the Air Max 95 will be styles in colors borrowed from the classic series. Pairs will likely be available only through SNKRS, with a price tag of $205.
Yu-Gi-Oh! x Nike Air Muscle 95 “Jonouchi”
Color: White/Wolf Grey-Dark Smoke Grey-Cool Grey
Style Code: II7404-100
Release Date: September 12, 2025 (Japan)
Price: $210
Yu-Gi-Oh! x Nike Air Muscle 95 “Joey”
Color: Psychic Blue/Mystic Navy-Stone Blue-Volt
Style Code: II7404-400
Release Date: September 12, 2025 (SNKRS)
Price: $210
Check out the original panels from the manga below, and stay tuned to JustFreshKicks on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more of the latest sneaker news, release dates, and restock alerts.
UPDATE 8/12/25: Nike has officially unveiled the Yu-Gi-Oh! x Air Max 95 collab, featuring colorways inspired by Joey and Jonouchi. The latter pair is expected to be a Japan exclusive. Both styles will release through the SNKRS app on September 12th, 2025, for $210 each.
UPDATE 8/7/25: This week brings us our first look at the “Psychic Blue” colorway of the Yu-Gi-Oh! x Nike Air Max 95. This release will most likely be tied to the .SWOOSH line, and comes with special packaging and the special-edition playing cards previously seen at ComicCon.
