Nike has long been on the sneaker-mule hype and the Air Max Craze is proof of its longstanding love for a backless, technical sneaker.

First released in 2001, the shoe is officially back, as confirmed in Nike’s latest SNKRS showcase. 

Presented in its original colorway, a black base with fiery orange accents popping up across the shoe, the Air Max Craze truly is a Nike deep cut.

The shoe was only available for a short period of time in the early naughts and trying to find a pair in good condition (and in your size) is near impossible. (Although, that’s of course about to change with the large-scale return of this niche air max.)

Much like the Air Max SNDR, another futuristic, once-rare sneaker reissued by Nike earlier this year, the shoe has a zip covering the laces.

However, unlike any other Air Max, the shoe is a backless mule with a slingback closure extending from the sole to provide heel support. It’s a similar system to that in other Nike mules, like its sporty Calm model.

Nike has not provided a release date for these sneakers yet, however, they are expected to arrive online on Nike SNKRS in spring 2025. 

And, following their release, there are rumors of a Martine Rose collaboration — which makes sense, given her known love of a sneaker mule. 

Sneaker mules have been in the ascendancy over the past few years, brands chopping the backs off well-recognized sneaker models from seemingly every direction.

But don’t be fooled into thinking it’s anything new, the early 2000s had arguably the wildest of the backless sporty shoes, and that goes beyond just Nike’s techy Air Max.Nike has more weird and wonderful mules where these came from.