Colourway Corral: Go Blue! Our Favourite Michigan-Themed Sneakers
The colours of the Michigan Wolverines are one of the most iconic colours in all of college athletics, and it’s easy to see why. The Maize and Blue pop and contrast each other and have made their way onto a bevy of sneakers throughout the years. Whether they have ties to the university or not, the hues end up being dubbed the ‘Michigan’ colourway. Whether they’re to be worn to the Big House or getting a sandwich at Zingerman’s Deli, we gathered our favourite Maize and Blue sneakers which can be seen below. Go Blue, and Hail to the Victors.
Nike Dunk
It doesn’t get any better when it comes to two-tone colour blocking than the . A part of Nike’s ‘Be True to Your School’ series alongside the UNLV Running Rebels, Kentucky Wildcats, Iowa Hawkeyes, Georgetown Hoyas, St. John’s Redmen (now Red Storm), and Syracuse Orangemen, the Wolverines got to show off the Maize and Blue on the 80s basketball sneaker.
The sneaker was released multiple times as a High and Low, and Nike SB dropped their homage to the ‘BTTYS’ pack with a suede version of the SB Dunk High in 2005. got in on the fun and released a Michigan-inspired take of the collaborative Off-White x Nike Dunk Low in 2019.
Nike Air Huarache
Although the will be forever associated with Michigan’s Fab Five, the hues of the sneaker deviated from the Michigan hues. However, the Air Flight Huarache’s running counterpart, the Air Huarache, got the Michigan treatment in the 2000s and, most recently, in 2022. The -designed sneaker features Maize and Blue accenting the white neoprene base and leather overlays, making it a comfortable option for those in attendance at the Big House.
Nike Air Max Pillar
The isn’t shown the love it truly deserves as it was the first Cross Trainer from the Swoosh that featured a full-length Total Air Max setup. Originally released in 1998, the sneaker had message boards clamouring for a retro, and fans got their wish as Nike dropped two OG colourways in the Volt and Michigan colourways in 2012. Fitting that a Michigan colourway arrived on the Air Max Cross Trainer as Heisman Trophy winner and all-time Michigan Wolverine Charles Woodson was the face of the sneaker during his tenure as an Oakland Raider.
Nike Huarache 2k5
As stated earlier, the role the Fab Five played in the success of sneakers such as the and Air Flight Huarache cannot be understated, as they are synonymous with Michigan forever. As Nike revived the Huarache line in the mid-2000s, starting with the Huarache 2k4, it wasn’t until the following year that the Maize and Blue colourway touched down on the Huarache 2k5.
The first basketball sneaker to implement Nike’s Free technology, the sneaker used a carbon fibre shank plate to bring rigidity to the flexible sneaker, along with a full-length Zoom unit. Navy makes up the majority of the nubuck upper, with Maize accenting seen throughout, most notably on the external heel counter and Swooshes on the lateral sides. Had Chris, Juwan, Jalen, Ray, and Jimmy been freshmen in 2005, these would have likely been their footwear of choice.
Air Jordan 12
After their deal with adidas, the Wolverines linked up with the Brand in 2016, becoming the first school to rock the Jumpman in football. With that, PEs in a bevy of colourways started to make their way to student-athletes and staff, but a few Michigan colourways trickled down as a public release.
NY’s Dao-Yi Chow is a proud Michigan alum, and the NY label got to put their touch on the Air Jordan 12 in 2017, exclusively for friends and family of the respective brands and school.
Fast forward a year later, a very similar pair dropped to the public, a tonal navy nubuck upper with Maize hits seen throughout, most notably on the Jumpman strip and medial and lateral sides. The block M is seen on the right tongue with the Jumpman embossed on the left, with the biggest deviation from the Public School pair being that the PSNY branding down the tongue is replaced with the traditional TWO 3 branding.
Air Jordan 5
The Air Jordan 5 got the Maize and Blue treatment but wasn’t officially affiliated with the school, unlike the AJ 12. Dropping in 2019, this AJ 5 features Maize nubuck on the upper, with the tongue, liner, and midsole coming in navy blue. The Jumpman on the heel was replaced with a Jordan Brand jock tag, similarly seen on a basketball or football jersey.
Nike Terminator Low
No signs of slowing down with the Michigan colourways as Nike bring the colours of the Leaders and Best to the Low. The sneaker uses Maize leather on the base alongside navy nubuck overlays, with the signature Nike branding seen in navy on the heel.
More and more Michigan colourways are hitting sneakers these days, such as the Nike Air Max 97 and Air Max 1, so it’s easy to see why this colourway is one of the most popular of all time.