Nike's 'Freddy Krueger' Air Max 95 is scary good

The "Freddy Krueger" Nike SB Dunk is one of the rarest and most iconic sneakers never released. Planned for 2007, the Nightmare on Elm Street-inspired Dunk Low took on the red and green stripes from the horror villain's sweater and added splotches of blood to make it all the more terrifying. The chrome Swoosh referenced Freddy's razors, while his burned flesh appeared on the sneaker's insoles. But before the sneaker could be released, Nike was hit with a cease-and-desist from New Line Cinema. Only 30 pairs reportedly made it into circulation — one of which now belongs to Travis Scott — and one of them is listed for $55,000 right now on StockX.

Now, 13 years later, Nike is once again taking a stab at the famous villain. This time around, the silhouette is an Air Max 95 — and the design inspiration is loose enough for plausible deniability. Instead of green, the striped upper opts for brown with a rough texture to mimic the sweater. Visible stitching makes it appear a little more ragged, and hazy blue accents seem to recreate the mist that somehow always came with Freddy's arrival.

There will be blood — Once again, the sneaker is covered in splotches of blood — only this time it's more subtle. The much smaller spots appear on metallic silver lace overlays, as well as on a heel counter that's red on top and drips down into silver. This same rich red carries over the Swoosh, while the Air Units get a darker shade to match the stripes. While there's no burnt flesh on these Air Max 95s, the insole does feature another Swoosh with blood dripping off of it.

When else but October? — Barring any unexpected litigation, the "Freddy Krueger" Air Max 95 is set to release some time in October. It won't be anywhere near as hyped as the SB Dunk that inspired it — and how could it be? — but sneakerheads should embrace the shoe as a continuation of the original's legacy. As long as it falls somewhere between impossible to buy and widely available, the legend of Freddy Krueger and Nike should continue.