The Sneaker Anniversaries of 2026 That Must Be Celebrated

The clocks have only just ticked over into 2026, but the entire sneakersphere have their minds deep into this year’s stonking release calendar. Already a bevy of kicks are including a stack of , cult-classics such as the , and collaborations with the likes of – but what we’re most excited about is the array of sneakers celebrating anniversaries this year!

From dirty 30s to naughty 40s and a few in between, let’s take a look at the monumental anniversaries of 2026.

Nike Air Max 96 (1996) - 30 Years

legendary lineage is ripe with cult classics that sell through quick-smart whenever an OG colourway returns. Among the , and other heavy hitters sits a handful of underrated gems that deserve celebrating, like the -designed Originally dropping 30 years ago, the AM96 has never experienced a retro run like its direct ascendent, or as much hype as its younger, silver brother – the closest it's come to sneaker stardom is a wildly wacky This is the year the Beaverton crew should rework the 1996 silhouette and drop ‘em in colourways both old and new.

Air Jordan 12 (1996) - 30 Years

Turning 30 years old is a big deal, and that’s probably why started the celebrations early for the Last year saw an array of big dogs touch down, like the that returned after two decades, crispy two-tone and the triple OG There’s not much on the calendar yet in terms of celebratory drops aside from the ‘Bloodline’, but we’re sure Jordan Brand are doing it big for the 1996 classic.

New Balance 999 (1996) - 30 Years

Three decades ago, New Balance launched an evolutionary update to their legendary 99X series in the This particular silhouette is best known as a collaborator and special-edition favourite, with and all putting their hands on the chunkified model. Some of those older 999s collaborations are coveted collector's gems and command resale prices in the mid-four-figure range. Despite the community adoration, the 2020s haven’t been kind to the 999, with colourways arriving once in a blue moon. In 2026, we think that should change with the model’s 30th birthday – and we hope to see a ‘Seal’ retro please, Concepts!

Nike Mag (2011) - 15 Years

Back to the Future II hit big screens on November 22 in 1989, and the world witnessed the – a self-lacing, high-top sneaker – with total awe. Obviously at this point in time self-lacing didn’t exist, but Nike and sneakerheads were eager to make it happen. Over a decade after the film was released, 30,000 fans signed a petition requesting a real life Nike Mag. In 2011, Team Swoosh did it, partnering with The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research to release a limited run of 1500 pairs. Tiffany Beers and were in charge of creating the shoe, which raised almost $10 million in 10 days for the foundation. In 2016, Nike dropped another version of the Mag, this time using their Adapt technology.

While the Swoosh probably won't recognise this anniversary, we think it’s important to salute one of the all-time unobtainable grails.

ASICS GEL (1986) - 40 Years

technology has reached its monumental 40th birthday this year, which should be celebrated with plenty of panache. The tech was originally called Alpha Gel, and rolled out in 1986 on models like the GT-II. By 1992, the first-ever GEL basketball sneaker arrived before the innovation was employed en masse as part of the Despite being four decades old, the cushy tech is still used today.

Air Jordan 6 (1991) - 35 Years

The 35th birthday has kicked into high gear, with plenty of pairs rumoured and dropping a to round out 2025. So far for the anniversary year, is already poised to present a collaboration that will surely be just as hype as , and the two-tone ‘Oreo’ from 2010 is also set to make a . In addition, you can expect to see the ‘White Infrared’, ‘Reverse Infrared’ and a potential Trophy Room linkup.

Nike Air Max BW (1991) - 35 Years

cult members stand up, because next year marks 35 years since the legendary big-windowed beast touched down. We have a feeling that Nike won’t celebrate this anniversary too hard, because back in 2021 the Air Max BW’s 30th b'day went bananas, with and a bevy of colourways to satisfy all the OG heads. In 2026, we’re just hoping for a return of the ‘Persian Violet’ and maybe a few limited iterations.

PUMA Blaze of Glory (2006) - 20 Years

holds a special place in the hearts of the #sneakerfreakerfam – we’ve dropped multiple collaborative pairs after all! Technically, the Blaze of Glory first was seen on shelves in 1993, but faded into oblivion after that. They didn’t really circle back into the rotation until 2006, and even then didn’t experience much hype until 2008. Yes, this pair is well over 20 years old, but we’ll be celebrating it like we did when we dropped the

Find out what's set to drop this year by keeping up to date with the Sneaker Freaker Release Calendar.