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Nike’s Newest Sneaker Loafer Hybrid Isn’t Actually New At All

The sportswear brand's 2000s-era Air Max hybrid returns with some help from Comme des Garçons Homme Plus.

A new Nike collaboration with Comme des Garçons Homme Plus is resurfacing one of the Beaverton, Ore.-based brand’s largely forgotten early 2000s-era Air Max sneaker loafers.

Appearing at Paris Fashion Week during the Comme des Garçons Homme Plus Men’s Spring 2026 Ready-to-Wear showing, the Rei Kawakubo-led brand’s latest collaboration with Nike didn’t appear on the runway, but showroom images were later shared which show a fairly detailed look at the upcoming sneaker.

For their latest joint venture, Comme des Garçons and Nike brought back the Air Max Dolce, an obscure slip-on Nike running model which was originally released in 2002. Perhaps too ahead of its time, the ’02 version failed to catch on with consumers to the point that in 2003, Nike released the more traditional Air Max Dolce Light with shoelaces. 

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More than two decades later, it looks like the techy sneaker loafer hybrid has found its time to shine. For the model’s first-ever reissue, Comme des Garçons reworked the Air Max Dolce’s upper, replacing the lattice-like TPU that covered the forefoot of the original sneaker with a loafer-like glossy patent leather. Elsewhere, the Air Max Dolce retains its aggressive, tire tread-esque sidewalls, which wrap across the toe from the lateral and medial sides. 

Comme des Garçons Homme Plus x Nike Air Max Dolce (group).
Comme des Garçons Homme Plus x Nike Air Max Dolce (group). @eyesmag

Colorwise, Comme des Garçons is up to its usual tricks, giving the shoe three monochromatic makeovers in all-black, all-white and black-and-white. Comme des Garçons Homme Plus branding is found on both the tongue and insole. Lastly, the Air Max Dolce’s usually accented heel Air unit has been given a tonal, opaque finish.

Nike’s reentry into the sneaker loafer category has been sluggish. Since the concept emerged as a top trend in 2024, the brand has yet to release a “snoafer,” although a pair known as the Air Max Phenomena is in the works with the Serena Williams Design Crew.

Despite the early preview, firm release details for the Comme des Garçons Homme Plus x Nike Air Max Dolce remain unconfirmed. Readers can expect the collaboration to be released during spring ’26 for a to-be-determined retail price.

Comme des Garçons Homme Plus x Nike Air Max Dolce (black/white).
Comme des Garçons Homme Plus x Nike Air Max Dolce (black/white). @eyesmag
Comme des Garçons Homme Plus x Nike Air Max Dolce (black).
Comme des Garçons Homme Plus x Nike Air Max Dolce (black). @eyesmag
Comme des Garçons Homme Plus x Nike Air Max Dolce (white).
Comme des Garçons Homme Plus x Nike Air Max Dolce (white). @eyesmag